


Blackmailed

by OG88



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, augst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:12:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 66,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OG88/pseuds/OG88
Summary: Jim has decided to go for full custody of his daughter. When Barbara learns of this she decides that instead of running away, with her daughter, she's going to stay, and fight. So, when she presents evidence, on Jim, of a past crime she gives him two options. He can either sign over his parental rights, or he can marry her. What will he chose? R&R
Relationships: Jim Gordon/Barbara Kean, Jim Gordon/Leslie Thompkins
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	1. A Marriage Of Convenience

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting on this site so I'm sorry if the text looks messy, or if there aren't enough tags.

**A/N** - **Okay here are a few notes before I begin. So, first off this story takes place after the events of season 5 episode 11, obviously. So, everything before is the same but afterwards it's gonna be completely AU which you guys probably realize. The second note is, Bruce is gone, I thought I'd make that clear here, and now. The third note is that Barbara Lee's name is the same. Now that that's out of the way onto the story, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer- I don't own Gotham because if I did then I would've done several things differently, although I did love most of what the writers** **did**.

Chapter 1- A Marriage Of Convenience

Jim hung up his phone after he'd finished talking to his lawyer. Lee looked at him from behind as he did so, "I can't believe you're doing this", she simply said with her arms folded. They were standing in the living room of their new apartment which they'd gotten a few weeks ago after Gotham had finally been reunified with the mainland.

"I have to", he said as he turned around to face her. Lee unfolded her arms in disbelief, "After everything I'd done to convince Barbara that you didn't want to take the baby from her, you go, and call a lawyer to do just the opposite", she said. She really had thought that he wanted to co-parent with his ex-fiancé. That he had no interest in going to court. But after reunification Jim had immediately gotten in touch with a lawyer so he could petition the court for full custody of his daughter. Barbara had been devastated after she'd found out, and so had Lee.

"I have to do whatever I can to protect my daughter", Jim told her. Lee shook her head, "Not like this", she said. Jim sighed, "You don't understand", he said. Lee scoffed as she threw her arms in the air, "You're right, I don't", she admitted in defeat. She couldn't understand how he could just go, and seek full custody out of what seemed like nowhere.

Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "It's not like I wasn't thinking about doing this", he said. "Were you though? Because you never gave me any impression that you were gonna go this route", she said. "I never said that I didn't want full custody", he insisted. "But you never did either. Jim I told Barbara, right before she gave birth mind you, that you weren't going to take the baby", Lee said. She couldn't help the sound of betrayal that was in her voice.

"You shouldn't have told her that", he said as he pointed his finger at her. "But I did Jim. Maybe if you'd been more clear on what you wanted I wouldn't have said anything", she said. Which was true. She'd have convinced Barbara not to leave Gotham, and despite how deceitful it would have been Lee wouldn't have told her of Jim's plan.

Jim sighed in remorse, "Okay, you're right. I should have been more clear with you, and with Barbara too. But I'm being clear on what I want now, and I want my daughter with me where she'll be safe from harm", he said.

"What about Barbara?" Lee asked. Jim looked at her, "She can have visitation, supervised visitation just so we're clear. When I said that I didn't want to take our baby from her I meant that I didn't want her out of our child's life completely. But I do want our daughter with me, and you full time", he explained.

Lee rubbed her temple with one of her hands, "I don't know about this Jim. This doesn't feel right", she said without looking at him. When she'd first gotten back together with Jim, while Barbara was still pregnant, she would've been happy to learn that this was the plan. But now she was anything but happy, she wasn't even pleased. She felt guilty, and she didn't know why. It's not like her, and Barbara were best friends, or anything. Maybe it was because Lee was just grateful that Barbara had named her daughter after her by giving the baby her name as a middle name. But maybe the real reason was because Lee had seen how happy Barbara was with her daughter, and deep down she knew that it wasn't right to take the infant away from her mother. Another reason too could've been because Lee wouldn't have wanted anybody to take her baby away from her, if it'd lived, which would've devastated her. So, maybe that was it, the reason why she was feeling so guilty was because she kept looking at this from a mother's standpoint, and thus she wasn't being very objective at the moment. But no matter the reason it didn't feel right to take Barbara Lee away from her mother.

Jim took both her hands in his. She looked at him as he did so. "Lee I know this isn't gonna be easy. But I'm doing this for my daughter, you have to understand that", he said. Lee sighed, "I want to Jim, I really do", she said while still sounding unsure of herself. "I know you do too. But I know something else too, I know that I don't want this to derail our plans to start a life together. I still want that with you, no matter what", he said. He really did want to continue with their plans to build a life together but only if she'd have him.

Lee stared at him in the eyes, "Yes I still want to start our life together", she said not knowing how he could question that. Yes she was still unsure about him going for full custody of Barbara Lee but she loved him, and she was gonna stand by him no matter what he decided to do regarding his daughter. Jim smiled when she said that, "Good", he said before he kissed her. Lee kissed him back afterwards the two hugged.

* * *

At the Sirens; Barbara was in her office, sitting behind her desk. She looked at the papers on her desk, that said Jim was petitioning for full custody of his daughter Barbara Lee Gordon. She clenched her fist in anger as she continued to look at the papers. At first she'd been in disbelief when she'd been served the documents. Pretty soon the disbelief turned into anger which had quickly formed into rage.

She couldn't believe this; Jim was suing for full custody. How could he do this to her? Well she knew how he could because she'd suspected from the very beginning that he was gonna do this. She just thought that after everything they'd been through, what with rescuing their daughter from Nyssa al Ghul together, that he wouldn't try to take their daughter away from her. Plus, Lee had told her that he wasn't going to take away their baby. Now Barbara wondered if that'd just been a lie to get her to stay.

She started to breath heavily as she tried not to cry. She wasn't going to, she couldn't, she wasn't going to show weakness, and give him the satisfaction. She sucked in a breath of air, and slowly let it out which caused her to start breathing normally again.

She should've left when she had the chance. If she'd left, like she'd planned to then she, and Barbara Lee would've been long gone by now. They could've been living in a new city, and everything.

Barbara leaned back in her chair as she stared at the ceiling. She'd been thinking about what life on the run would've been like when she heard somebody walk in. She looked over at the doorway, and saw Selina.

"How're you doing?" Selina asked as she slowly walked over. Barbara sat up straight, "Still angry", she told her. Selina nodded in understanding. She'd seen Barbara's reaction the day she'd found out that Jim was petitioning for full custody. She remembered running into the office when she'd heard Barbara throwing stuff around in anger. At first Selina didn't know what'd been going on. One minute a guy, dressed in a fancy suit, had gone to see Barbara in her office, and as soon as he left that's when she'd heard a crash. Selina could only then watch in horror as Barbara destroyed her office in a fit of rage. When there had been nothing left to destroy Barbara had broken down in tears. That's when Selina had gone to comfort her, and that's when Barbara had tearfully explained what was going on to her.

Selina looked around the room, "Where's Barbara Lee at?" She asked. Barbara gestured her head to the other room that was in the building, "In the backroom asleep", she answered as she rested her chin on her fist. Ever since Jim had petitioned for full custody Barbara had wanted to keep her daughter close by. Somehow it made her feel better. Maybe it was because she knew where she was, and she wasn't with her father which was a bonus.

Selina stood in front of the desk, "Have you talked to a lawyer yet?" She asked. "Yeah", Barbara answered. Right after she'd gotten over the initial shock of Jim wanting full custody Barbara had acquired a lawyer. A pretty good one too. He charged a lot of money for his services but it's not like she couldn't afford it. So, there was no problem there.

"What did he say your chances are?" Selina asked. Barbara let out a sigh, "He was pretty honest with me. He told me my chances weren't good", she told her. Despite having a decent lawyer that would probably wipe the floor with Jim in a custody battle Barbara's past was a big problem.

"I'm sorry to hear that Barbara. But you're still gonna fight, right?" Selina asked. Barbara nodded her head in determination, "Definitely", she answered. There was no way Jim was taking her daughter, not if she had anything to say about it.

Selina went over to the couch that was across the room. She plopped down on it, with her feet rested on the armrest, and her chin rested on her hand. Barbara looked at her as she did so. Normally she'd tell her to get her feet off the armrest but she had more important things to worry about, like keeping Barbara Lee with her.

"You know what sucks?" Selina asked after a while. "What?" Barbara asked. "That Jim's gonna bring up your past in court, and make you out to be a bad mother. Yet you could probably provide a much better life for little Barbara than he ever could. I guess maybe you could try talking to him", Selina suggested.

"No", Barbara quickly said as she stood up. The last thing she was gonna do was beg Jim not to take their daughter. Selina looked at her, "Come on Barbara", she said. "Selina no, I'm not talking things out with him because the only thing he's gonna say is that Barbara Lee belongs with him, and I know he's gonna dismiss anything I have to say", Barbara explained.

Selina held up her hands in surrender, "Okay, it was only a suggestion", she calmly said. She did not want Barbara to turn her anger on her. Jim was the one who she was mad at, and that's who Barbara needed to stay mad at.

Barbara walked around to the front of her desk as she kept her eyes on the papers, "Damnit Jim", she said under her breath. Selina heard her, "Barbara this is gonna sound awful, and I don't want you to think that I'm ok with asking you this but I have to know. Have you thought about you, know?" She asked. Barbara looked at her, "Know what?" She asked in annoyance. Selina sat up on the couch, "Killing Jim?" She asked after a long pause. Barbara looked at her for what felt like a long time. The thought hadn't crossed her mind. Namely because she knew she'd be suspect number one, and no doubt Harvey wouldn't stop investigating until she was behind bars. But even if she could get away with it she still wouldn't do it. For some reason she couldn't. "No", Barbara said after a while.

Selina nodded, "So, you're gonna fight him out in court?" She asked. "I don't know", Barbara said with a sigh. Selina gave her a look, "Barbara you have to; I mean you're not willing to talk things out with him, and you don't wanna kill him so what else is there to do?" She asked. "I could run", Barbara said as she shifted her gaze at the thief.

Selina looked in her eyes, and saw how Barbara was probably determined to do just that. She'd known about her plan to run away before with Oswald, and Ed but Selina thought that Barbara had abandoned that plan when the submarine had been stolen. Which Selina had secretly been happy about. After Bruce had left she didn't think she could take one more person leaving her. But now it seemed like Barbara was back to her plans of leaving Gotham.

"You can't run Barbara, okay? There has to be another way", Selina said. Barbara could hear the hurt, and worry in Selina's voice. She knew that her leaving would devastate the young woman which Barbara didn't want because she knew that her, and Barbara Lee were the closest thing that Selina had to having a family. But she didn't know what else to do.

"I'm sorry Selina but I can't lose my daughter", Barbara said. Selina growled in anger, "You won't even try. You're just gonna give up, and run away", she said. Barbara narrowed her eyes at her, "I don't have any other options. But I don't have to go alone, Selina you can come with me, and Barbara Lee. The three of us can leave together", she suggested. That'd been a part of the original plan anyway. Before the submarine plan, Barbara, and Selina were planning on leaving Gotham together before Selina had decided to stay.

Selina stared at her in anger, "No, I don't want to leave Gotham, and I don't want to be on the run with a baby. Don't you know how hard that's gonna be in the first place? Besides Jim won't rest until we're found, and I don't want to see you go to jail Barbara because that's what he'll do if he catches us. So, you need to find another way. I know you can. You just have to think of one, please", she pleaded as her eyes softened.

Barbara looked off to the side as she thought about what Selina had said. There had to be another way because the truth was she didn't want to run. She didn't want to have to live in hiding for the rest of her life, and she didn't want that for Barbara Lee either. So, she had to stay, and she had to find a way to fight.

Barbara looked at her, "Selina can you give me a moment, please? I have to make a phone call", she said. Selina nodded, "Okay", she said before she walked out of the office. After Selina left Barbara got out her cell phone, and dialed a number. "Hello Penguin", she said.

* * *

The next afternoon Jim sat in his car. He was prepared to head home when his cell phone began to ring. "Hello", he said. "Hi Jim'', Barbara said in a cheery voice.

Jim growled under his breath when he heard her voice, "What'd you want Barbara?" He asked annoyed. "We need to talk", she told him. "My lawyer advised me not to talk to you until the hearing, and I'm already breaking that rule by talking to you now", he said. He thought back to what his lawyer had told him the week before about how he needs to have as limited contact, and communication with Barbara as possible. Meaning the only time the two should be in the same room, or even be speaking to each other is when it concerns their daughter. Other than that no contact, and no communication.

"Jim I really think you're gonna wanna hear what I have to say", she said in the same tone as before. Jim couldn't help but wonder why she sounded so happy. "What is it that you need to say?" He asked her. "Come down to the Sirens, and I'll tell you myself", she answered.

"I'm not coming down there", he argued. He'd had enough of her games for one day. Either she told him over the phone, or she didn't tell him at all.

"Okay don't come. I'd just hate to have to reveal this information at the hearing though", she warned. Jim raised his eyebrow in curiosity, what information was she talking about? He wondered about it for a few seconds before he gave up. "I'll be there in a few minutes", he told her. "Good boy", she complimented before she hung up. Jim looked at his phone then he headed off to the Sirens.

Meanwhile in Barbara's office, Penguin sat in a chair facing her desk. "Remind me again why I'm helping you?" Penguin asked. Barbara looked at him with contempt, "Maybe because you owe me favor since I spared your life even though you killed one of my best friends", she reminded him.

Penguin scoffed as he rolled his eyes, "She had it coming, and I did pay you back remember? I was gonna help you get out of town. Using my submarine", he said bitterly. He was still pissed that it'd been stolen.

"Yeah well we never follow through on that deal so this basically makes up for that", she explained. Penguin growled as he realized she made a good point, "Whatever, after this no more freebies", he said as he scooched a large envelope across her desk.

Barbara picked up the envelope, "Trust me after this I won't be going to you for anything else", she said as she stared at it. Penguin stood up, "Well it was pleasure doing business with you, and just so you know digging that up wasn't easy either. In fact I'd almost forgotten about it", he said. Barbara continued to stare at the envelope in her hands, "So had I", she said quietly.

"So tell me, do you really plan on using it?" He asked her. Barbara finally looked at him again, "That's none of your business. Now get out", she ordered. Penguin once again rolled his eyes as he left the office.

Jim arrived at the club ten minutes later. He headed towards Barbara's office where he knew she'd be, and saw her waiting for him. "I'm here, now what's so important that you couldn't tell me about it over the phone?" He asked. Barbara looked at him, "I want you to drop your petition for full custody", she told him.

Jim rolled his eyes in annoyance. He should've known that's what this was about. "Not gonna happen", he said simply.

"Jim I meant what I said over the phone, I really don't wanna have to reveal this information at the hearing but I will if you force me to", she said. "What information are you talking about?" Jim asked loudly. Barbara gave him a look, "I suggest you watch how you talk to me. Now does the name Odgen Baker mean anything to you?" She asked. Jim's eyes grew wide when he heard that name, "What does he have to do with anything?" He asked. Barbara smirked as she walked over to him, "I think you know Jim. But for your benefit I'm gonna tell you. You see the thing about doing deals with the mob is that they love to keep certain things, like evidence, around to keep you in line. Have something handy incase you try to turn on them later, and in this envelope there is evidence proving you killed Odgen for Penguin'', she said as she gestured to the envelope that was in her hands.

"You're lying", Jim accused. "Jim when have I ever lied to you? Okay scratch that but we both know I'm not lying now", she said. Jim looked at the envelope then at Barbara. She had to have been lying, right? There was no way there was any evidence, there couldn't be, surly he'd have known if there was, or maybe not. Penguin was sneaky, and it'd be just like him to have something to blackmail Jim with in the future if the need arose. Plus, it's not like Jim didn't certainly have a lot of ammo against him because he did. He just couldn't believe that Oswald would give any to Barbara but then again he hasn't been on good terms with Oswald in a long time.

"So, what's your plan?" He asked angrily. Barbara placed the envelope back on her desk but kept it far out his reach. "If you don't drop your petition for full custody then I'll have no choice but to turn this over to the DA's office, and if I do that then we both know what'll happen next. You'd be charged with murder, and would be thrown in Blackgate so fast you won't know what hit you. If that were to happen then I'd have full custody, and you'd be in prison where we both know that unlike last time you probably won't survive", she threatened.

"You'd really do that to me?" He asked. Barbara looked at him, "Only if you force me to but I'm willing to give you a choice, you can move forward with your plans to try to take Barbara Lee, or you can back off, and do something else", she said. Jim looked at her, "What?" He asked. "You can drop the petition, and you can sign over your parental rights", she offered.

Jim widened his eyes when she said that, "No way", he said angrily. He was surprised that he didn't shout the statement. "Jim I'm giving you the choice here. I could have turned this over the moment I got it but I didn't because I don't want to have to explain to my daughter that her father is in prison", Barbara said.

"Well I'm not giving up my daughter. Whether I go to prison, or not", he said. "There is no whether, or not. If this goes public you go to Blackgate, simple", Barbara practically shouted.

"I'd rather take my chances", Jim said as he turned to walk out of the room. "Would you?" Barbara asked. Jim stopped in his tracks when she asked him. The answer was simple, no, he wasn't. But he couldn't let her know that.

He turned back around to face her. "I'm not walking out on my daughter. I deserve to be her father", he told her. "I deserve to be her mother", Barbara countered. Jim growled, "You've killed people", he told her. "So, have you, and Odgen Baker wasn't the only one. So unless you want to continue being a free man I suggest you sign over your rights as Barbara Lee's father", she said.

Jim growled again as he pulled at his hair. He wanted to throw something but he didn't want that to be ammo used against him too. "I can't do it", he managed to calmly say as he looked at her.

"But you don't wanna go to prison either", she told him. "No", he agreed. "Okay, I knew this wasn't gonna be so easy so I'm willing to compromise a little further. You see I don't want you in her life, and I never did. But when I thought you were willing to co-parent with me I changed my mind. Now I'm back to not wanting you involved", she said.

"You've made that clear", he said in annoyance. "Well I mean it but I'm going to offer you something that I think will benefit us both", she said. Jim curiously looked at her, "What?" He asked. "Marriage", Barbara said simply.

Jim stared at her in disbelief, she couldn't be serious? There was no way he was gonna marry her. "Hell no", he said. "You might want to think about this because this is as far as I'll go to ensure that I get to keep my daughter", she said.

"You can forget about marriage then because there's no way I'm marrying you. I'm already with the woman that I want to be with, and we're already married", he reminded her. "No you're not. At least not legally", Barbara said.

Jim stared at her again when he realized that she was right. Him, and Lee weren't legally married. The ceremony they'd had while Gotham was cut off from the mainland had been just that, a ceremony. There was nothing legal about it. Yes, they'd been planning to make it official after reunification but they hadn't gotten the chance to do it. Too much stuff has been going on, him petitioning for full custody was the big one.

"You really expect me to marry you?" He asked her in a low voice. Barbara shook her head, "No but I know you don't want to sign over your parental rights either. Even though I'd love it if you did. But since you won't I figure this was something we could both work with", she told him.

Jim scoffed at her statement, "How?" He asked. "We get married, we live in the same place, mine that is, sorry but I don't plan on living in whatever tiny apartment you have, and we raise little Barb together", she explained. Jim looked at her, "What if one of us can't stand living with the other?" He asked. "Speak for yourself Jim, unlike you I won't much care if we're married. But to answer your question you can divorce me if you want but only if you sign over your parental rights before doing so", she answered.

"So, to be clear if I don't marry you you'll turn over the evidence that'll get me sent to prison?" He asked. "You don't have to marry me, you signing over your parental rights will be enough. But not doing either of those will result in me going to the DA's office", she told him.

Jim thought about what she said. He couldn't go back to prison but he couldn't lose his daughter either. Even though she was only a few weeks old she already meant more to Jim than anything else did.

"Okay", he whispered. "What?" Barbara asked. "Okay, I'll marry you", he said.

"Wow I should've known that was gonna be your choice but I was still thinking you'd give up Barbara Lee", she said. "I can't lose her", he said as he looked at the floor. Barbara smirked, "Well now that that's been settled get down on one knee", she told him. "Excuse me?" Jim asked as he stared at her. "I said get down on one knee. Since we're getting married I find it fitting that you propose to me. You know? Like a gentleman", she taunted.

Jim did as she wanted, he got down on one knee, and grabbed her hands in his. "Will you marry me?" He asked bitterly with each word making him wanna throw up. Barbara grinned, "I don't know", she said as she pretended to think about it.

"Barbara", Jim practically growled. Barbara smirked, "Yes Jim, I'll marry you", she said. Jim stood up then Barbara went behind her desk, and grabbed her phone. "I need some air", he said to himself as he walked towards the door.

"Jim", Barbara called out after him. Jim looked at her, "What?" He asked angrily. "I need you to break things off with Lee. You can't be married to me, and still see her. So, while I'm making some calls to get everything, I'm gonna need you to tell her it's over then come right back here once you're done", Barbara said. "Okay", Jim said bitterly before he walked out of the room.

* * *

Lee was at her, and Jim's apartment when he walked in. She saw that he had a sad look in his eyes, and wondered what was wrong. "Jim?" She asked with worry. "Lee we need to talk", he said sadly.

Lee looked at him, "Is something wrong? Did something happen to Barbara Lee?" She asked him. At the mention of his daughter Jim got tears in his eyes. What he was about to do was for Barbara Lee, he had to remember that. "It's over", he said.

Lee looked at him with confusion, "What's over?" She asked. "It's over, we're finished, done", he clarified. "Jim I don't understand", she said.

"There's nothing to understand because it's over between us", he told her in anger. He hadn't wanted to sound angry but that's how his voice came out. Lee tried to keep herself from crying as she looked at him, "Why?" She asked as her voice broke. Jim could feel his heart shatter as he heard the sadness in her voice. "Why? Well because I'm marrying Barbara that's why", he told her without going into detail.

Lee could only stare at him as she tried to process what he'd just told her. "What about us? What about our marriage? What about our life together?" She asked him. Jim stared back at her, "There's not gonna be one, goodbye", he said coldly before he walked out of the apartment. Lee could only watch, with tears in her eyes, as he did so.

* * *

It was nighttime when Jim arrived back at the Sirens club. He went to Barbara's office where he found her with two other guys. One was dressed in a robe while the other was dressed in a suit.

"It's about time you showed up. The judge here was getting worried that you wouldn't. But I assured him you'd be here. I said that you were so eager for us to get married that you didn't want to wait for us to have a proper ceremony ", Barbara said with a smile as she gestured her head towards the man in the robe. The judge smiled at him but Jim didn't smile back.

He should've known Barbara wanted to get married that same night. How she managed to pull it off remained to be unseen. "Who's he?" Jim asked as he gestured his head at the other man. "That's our witness, we can't get married if we don't have one", Barbara answered. ' _Great',_ Jim thought bitterly as he looked at the man. Now everything was set for what would be the worst night of his life. He went to stand next to Barbara.

"Are you two ready to begin?" The judge asked. Jim nodded his head yes at Barbara who turned to look at the judge. "Yes", she said to him.

The judge looked at them as they faced each other, "Okay, please join hands then", he said. Jim, and Barbara did as they were told. "Ready Jim?" Barbara asked with a smirk. Jim didn't answer. He just tried not to look at her in disgust. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man-", the judge was interrupted. "Can we skip that part?" Jim asked as he looked at him. The judge looked back at him in confusion. "I told you he was eager", Barbara said with a smile as she looked at the judge.

The judge stared at them both for a bit before skipping to the next part, "Do you James Gordon take Barbara Kean, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have, and to hold? From this day forward? For better, or for worse? In sickness, and in health? For richer, or for poorer? Until death do you part?" He asked him. "I do", Jim said as he looked at Barbara. "Do you Barbara Kean take James Gordon, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have, and to hold? From this day forward? For better, or worse? In sickness, and in health? For richer, or for poorer? Until death do you part?" The judge asked her. "I do", Barbara said as she looked at Jim.

"By the power vested in me, by the state of New Jersey, I now pronounce you man, and wife. You may now kiss the bride", the judge proclaimed. "You heard him Jim", Barbara said with a smirk as she continued to look at him. Jim didn't say anything instead he leaned forward, and kissed her. He couldn't believe what he was doing.

 **A/N- There's chapter one. Wasn't that a sneaky thing of Barbara to do? Force Jim into marrying her, and forcing him into breaking up with Lee, or else she'd send him to prison. By the way I heard Gotham City was in New Jersey but if I'm wrong you can correct me. Now in case anybody is wondering, Odgen Baker was the guy that Jim had killed back in season 2. I would've used the Pyg situation, and I originally was going to but I wasn't sure if anybody but Harvey knew about Jim's involvement in that. Another thing is this takes place about three weeks after the events of season 5 episode 11, I figured I'd make that clear too. Anyways you can tell me what you think in the reviews, and thank you for** **reading**.


	2. For What It's Worth

**A/N** - **I wanted to say thank you to everybody who has read this story so far. It means a lot, it really does, now onto the story, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Gotham because if I did I would've done whatever I could to make sure season 5 was longer.**

Chapter 2- For What It's Worth

Jim pulled away after he kissed Barbara, she smirked at him when he did so. Jim could only glare back at her. He had to keep reminding himself that he only married Barbara for his daughter, and so he wouldn't go to prison either.

There were congratulations from the judge, and the witness before they left. Afterwards it was just Jim, and Barbara. Jim could only look at her as she continued to stare at him with a smirk on her face. If anybody had told him, last year, that he'd be married to Barbara Kean then he would've called them a liar. But yet here he was; married to a woman who he couldn't stand.

"Where the Hell's my daughter at?" He asked angrily. "At home, with the sitter", she answered before her face widened into a taunting grin. "What?" He asked when he saw her grin. Barbara chuckled, "I was just thinking about my penthouse. Which is now our penthouse, _our_ penthouse, that has a nice ring to it", she said as she tapped her chin in thought.

Jim made a growling sound under his breath as he looked at her. It seemed like she just lived to taunt him. As he continued to stare at her it became more obvious to him that she was enjoying the torment that he was going through. He could see it in her eyes, he could see the cruelty that was in them. Which made it very clear to him that she loved seeing him suffer, and that made him wonder how he was gonna survive in this marriage? Because if he was gonna keep his daughter then he needed to find a way.

* * *

It was a silent drive on the way to Barbara's penthouse as she drove. She'd insisted that he ride in her car, with her, and when he'd protested she brought up the idea that if he didn't like it then he could sign over his parental rights. So, he didn't argue with her, and instead did as she said.

After a ten minute drive they arrived at her penthouse. Jim couldn't help but look around after he stepped in the door. As he did so he noticed some luggage that was near the couch. It didn't take him much effort to know that it was his. Barbara had told him before they'd left the Sirens that she'd arranged for some of his things to be brought to her place. Which made him feel violated because he didn't like the idea of strangers touching his things but he didn't tell her that.

As he continued to look around the penthouse Barbara was talking to a young woman who Jim only assumed to be the babysitter. "Where's Barbara Lee at?" Jim asked Barbara. He did what he could to not sound rude in front of the babysitter. The last thing he needed was for the young woman to think he was the bad guy. Barbara stopped talking to the other woman before looking at him, "Down the hallway, the first door on the left, across from the bathroom", she said as she gestured her head towards the hallway.

Jim didn't say anything as he headed towards Barbara Lee's room. When he walked inside he immediately noticed the crib. He walked over, and looked inside.

There she was, sleeping peacefully, with one of her tiny fists near her mouth. Jim smiled, for the first time that night, as he looked at her. It'd been a while since he'd seen her, and if he had to guess then he'd say the last time he saw his daughter had been earlier in the week the week before. Which'd felt like an eternity for him, and he hadn't meant to stay away either. After he'd filed for full custody Barbara had kept him at arms length. She'd come up with excuses for why he couldn't see her which were all lies, and he called her out on it too. But she still managed to keep him away. Which only made him more determined to get full custody of Barbara Lee.

Jim continued to smile at his daughter as he stroked her fist with his finger. He was careful not to wake her up although the only thing he wanted to do was hold her in that moment. But she just looked so peaceful that he left her where she was. He figured that he'd get to hold her later that night when she'd most likely wake up crying. Jim chuckled at the thought of that. Most parents, he assumed, probably wanted nothing more than for their babies to sleep through the night while he wanted the opposite just so he'd get to hold her.

Jim bent over the crib, "Goodnight baby girl daddy loves you", he whispered then he gently kissed the top of her head before he exited the nursery. When he arrived back out into the living room he saw that was Barbara alone, and he assumed that the babysitter had left. He didn't say anything as he walked over to his luggage, and pulled some things out.

Barbara poured some champagne into two glasses as he walked by her. "I thought we could celebrate since we didn't have a reception", she said as she turned to face him with the glasses in both of her hands. Jim stopped to look at her, "I don't want to celebrate anything with you", he told her with a glare.

Barbara only shrugged before she took a swig from one of the glasses that were still in both of her hands. Jim didn't say anything else instead he looked around, with his eyes, until he saw a bedroom. He went inside.

Once he was in the room he saw that it had it's very own bathroom. Not wasting any time he went to go use it. While inside he changed into some grey sweats but no t-shirt. Afterwards he put the clothes that he'd been wearing before into what appeared to be a dirty clothes basket before walking back out to the bedroom where Barbara was waiting for him.

He saw her laying on the bed, dressed in a black silk nightgown, with a huge grin on her face. Jim ignored her as he walked to the other side of the bed. Barbara looked over at him, "Shall we consummate our marriage Jim?" She asked with her arms stretched out. Jim growled in anger as he looked at her, "This is not a real marriage", he snapped as he gestured his finger at her.

Barbara scoffed while still keeping the grin on her face, "Whatever you say Jim", she said sarcastically. Jim growled again, "I'm gonna go sleep on the couch", he said as he turned around. It was very obvious that Barbara wanted them to share a room, and that wasn't gonna happen. "You know Jim we're married now, and I don't know about you but until I get what I want then I'm not divorcing you. Which means you'll be sleeping on the couch for a long time because I don't plan on making the other room that I have into a bedroom", she said as she referred to the other room that wasn't the nursery.

Jim sighed in frustration as he thought about it. Sleeping on the couch night after night was gonna begin to get uncomfortable after a while, and he knew that eventually he'd probably give in anyway. Jim turned back around, "Just stay on your side", he ordered before he climbed into the bed. Barbara did as she was told, and moved over to the other side of the bed. Jim didn't say anything else as he got under the covers. When he was settled in he turned off the lamp that was lighting the room, and went to sleep.

* * *

The next morning Jim woke up feeling oddly refreshed. Considering the night he'd had, what with marrying Barbara, he figured he wouldn't have been able to get any sleep. But that didn't prove to be the case, and he was grateful that he did get a goodnight's sleep because he was gonna need his strength if he was gonna continue with this sham of a marriage.

He looked over to the other side of the bed, and saw that Barbara wasn't there. Confused, he got out of the bed, and walked out into the living room to see if she was out there but he didn't see her. Realizing that he had to be at work soon he decided not to worry about her whereabouts, and instead went to grab his clothes for the day then he headed to the bathroom that was in the bedroom.

He hopped into the shower, and started washing off. As he stood under the water he felt a pair of arms grab his waste. Jim yelled out in shock as he whirled around where to his horror he saw Barbara standing behind him. "Good morning Jim", she said as she smirked at him.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!" He shouted as he attempted to cover his body. Barbara ignored his question, "You don't have to bother covering up Jim. It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before", she said as she looked at him. Jim growled, "GET OUT NOW!" He shouted. Barbara shrugged like it was no big deal, "Okay", she said with a grin before she got out of the shower.

As soon as Jim heard the door close he started scrubbing himself off, as if he'd just been covered in filth, before he rinsed off again. Afterwards he got out, dried off, and got dressed then he left the bathroom. He walked back out into the living room where he saw Barbara, fully clothed, drinking a cup of coffee.

Jim walked over to her, "We need to set some ground rules; first off you stay on your side of the bed, second you keep your hands to yourself, and third when I'm in the bathroom you stay out until I'm done", he said angrily as he raised his finger to her. Barbara scoffed as she rolled her eyes in annoyance, "What about when I'm in the bathroom?" She asked sarcastically. Jim growled, "I'm not playing Barbara. Don't ever do that again", he told her then he went to grab his coat. They stared at each other in silence for a bit before he left for work.

* * *

That afternoon Jim sat in his office which was located in a building across town. The building was namely filled with politicians, and other government officials. Since Jim, himself, was now the commissioner then he'd have to work from there instead at the precinct with Harvey, and the other cops though he wanted to be able to work at the precinct again in the future. Until then, unless he was told otherwise, he'd have to work there. The only time he could leave was if he were called on a case out in the field, or until it was time to go home.

Jim sat in his desk chair with his chin resting on his hand when somebody barged in. He looked up, and saw Harvey walking over to his desk. Jim saw the look of rage that was on his friend's face as he approached him.

"What the Hell Jim? You wanna tell me why Lee called me last night, crying, and saying you broke up with her?" Harvey asked angrily with his hands planted firmly on the desk. Jim straightened himself up in his chair, "You talked to Lee?" He asked with surprise. "Yeah, I did. She told me that you broke up with her out of nowhere, and she said that you were marrying Barbara. Is that true?" Harvey asked with disbelief. Jim sighed, "It's a long story", he said. Harvey grabbed a nearby chair, "Well I got time so let's hear it", he said before he sat down.

Jim sighed again as he told Harvey of his situation, and his new living arrangement. "So, that's why I had to break up with Lee so I could keep my daughter, and not go to prison", Jim finished. Harvey gave him a look of sympathy after Jim was done telling his story. "I'm sorry to hear that, partner, and Barbara's really gonna get you sent to prison if you don't stay married to her?" Harvey asked in disbelief. Jim shook his head, "No, like I said if I sign over my parental rights then she'll give me a divorce otherwise it's either stay married to her, or go to prison, and I can not go back there Harvey. Okay? I can not go back", he said in desperation then he thought back to when he'd been in prison years ago. The inmates had been ready to kill him when he'd been there the first time, and no doubt it wouldn't be any different the second time around. So, Jim had to avoid anything that could get him sent back there.

Harvey looked at him, "I understand", he said softly. Jim looked out his office window, "It's not just the possibility of going back to prison either but I'm doing this for Barbara Lee too. I can't lose her Harvey. She needs me, she needs me to protect her", he explained. Prison was nothing in comparison to not being able to be a father to his own child.

"I get it partner. But why didn't you explain any of this to Lee? You should've told her", Harvey said. Jim looked at him, "I know but I was afraid that if I did then she wouldn't let me go through with it, and I didn't wanna risk Barbara going to cops with the evidence that she has on me", he said.

Harvey nodded in understanding, "Well she was pretty upset when she called me last night. She thought I might know what was going on with you but I told her I didn't know, and was just as confused as she was", he said. It was true, Harvey could only listen in confusion when Lee had called him, and told him what happened. He couldn't figure out why Jim had left the woman he'd, for years, claimed to love. It'd made no sense. Until now that is.

"Well if you talk to her again, or if you see her around can you not tell her anything? I want to be the one to explain things to her", Jim said. Harvey nodded, "Sure thing buddy", he told him. Jim nodded his head in thanks to show his gratitude.

* * *

Selina laughed out loud after Barbara had finished telling her about her marriage to Jim. The two were at the Sirens, and they were sitting at the counter. With the exception of them the club was empty, and since reunification nobody but the two of them had really been in it. Which made sense since the place was closed to customers, and Barbara had no real plans to open it back up.

"I can't believe he actually went through with it", Selina said. She'd been worried about Barbara possibly losing her daughter, and had wanted nothing more than for the older woman to find a way to keep her child without having to run away. So, when Barbara had told Selina what she'd done Selina had been thrilled because Barbara got to keep her daughter, and not skip town.

"To be honest I'd expected him to agree to marry me which is why I offered it", Barbara explained to her. Selina raised an eyebrow at her, "So, you wanted to marry Jim?" She asked with confusion. Barbara scoffed as she rolled her eyes in annoyance, "No of course not. I didn't want to marry Jim. As far as I was concerned he could've stayed with Lee. He can still go back to Lee for all I care. I just want to keep my daughter. That's the only thing I want", she said as she looked at her.

"So where's the evidence at?" Selina asked. Barbara smirked, "Somewhere safe where Jim won't be able to find it", she said as she looked at her. Selina smiled, "I'm gonna be honest with you Barbara I think you should turn it over to the DA's office", she said as she referred to the evidence.

Barbara shook her head, "No, I'm not going to do that. Not unless I really have to", she said to her. Selina rolled her eyes, "Why not Barbara? This whole thing could be over with if you just go to the cops with what you have. You don't have to be in a marriage that you don't want", she said.

"I'm not going to send little Barbara's father to prison if I don't have to. I can't do that to her. In fact I _won't_ do that to her", Barbara firmly said. As much as Jim had made her mad by trying to take full custody, Barbara didn't want to send him to prison especially since there was a good chance that he could be killed while in there. Plus, if she were to get him sent to Blackgate, and he were to be killed then Barbara would have to tell their daughter. She couldn't do that to her little girl. Not only that but even if Jim managed to not get killed then he'd still be locked up for a long time, twenty five to life at the most. That was something else that Barbara didn't want to have to do, she didn't wanna have to explain to little Barbara that her father was in prison. No child deserved to have to deal with that knowledge. That was why she wanted Jim to sign over his parental rights because it was better to tell her daughter that her father was alive, and not in prison than having to tell her differently. Of course Barbara knew that if Jim were to sign over his parental rights then Barbara Lee would surely ask questions in the future. She'd wanna know why her father wasn't in her life, and Barbara wasn't exactly sure what she was going to tell her should Jim sign over his rights. She figured she'd tell little Barbara that her father didn't deserve to have a daughter like her, and so it was best that he stayed away.

Selina raised her glass of whiskey at her, "Well Barbara you certainly are the bigger person in this situation. But I do kind of feel bad for Jim", she admitted to her before she drowned her drink. Barbara gave her a look, "He started this Selina", she reminded her.

"I know he did, and trust me when I say that he is getting exactly what he deserves right now. I mean Jim likes to go around on a high horse, and act like he's so much better than everybody else when he's just as dirty as the next guy. I sometimes wondered how Bruce could even look up to him", Selina said. After she mentioned Bruce's name her face fell. Barbara saw her look of sadness, "You still miss him?" She asked softly. Selina nodded, "Yeah, I don't want to. But I do", she told her.

Barbara poured her another drink, "Well his loss for leaving right?" She asked. Selina smiled a little, "Yeah, and now I can't help but wonder what he'd have thought when Jim tried to take little Barbara from you", she said. Barbara took a sip of her drink, "He'd have been on Jim's side", she said. Selina nodded, "You're right he would have been on Jim's side. But it still wouldn't have excused Jim for trying to take Barbara Lee. I mean no doubt Jim was gonna have his lawyer bring up every bad thing you've ever done", she said.

"I know, and the sad part is the judge probably wouldn't have taken into consideration that I've changed. It's not like they would've done a home visit where they would've seen that Barbara Lee is happy with me, and that she's safe. No, they would've just listened to Jim, handed full custody over to him, and taken her from me. I couldn't let that happen", Barbara said.

Selina stared at her, "I know, and you really are taking the right steps towards changing. I mean you're on your way to becoming a real estate mogul. How that's going by the way?" She asked her. Barbara grinned, "It's going amazing. I've already bought most of the land in Gotham, and now I can start making plans to rebuild", she said. It was true after reunification Barbara had bought most of the land in Gotham. Her plan was to help rebuild as most of it as she could. She really did what to change, and to leave her criminal life behind her.

Selina smiled at her, "That's good to hear", she said. Barbara looked at her, "Are you sure you don't want in?" She asked. Selina smirked, "Like I said before real estate isn't my thing", she told her. When Barbara had first informed Selina of her plans she'd tried to get her to join in on it but Selina was adamant that it wasn't for her.

"Well the offer still stands if you ever want it", Barbara said. Selina brought her glass to her lips, "Thanks but no thanks", she said before she took a sip. The women smiled at each other afterwards.

* * *

After work Jim headed back to the penthouse. He'd been dreading this moment all day. Having to go home to a woman whom he was blackmailed into marrying.

He walked through the door, using the key that Barbara had given him, and saw that nobody was home. At least it appeared to be that way. Jim took off his jacket, and went to sit down on the couch. He was in deep thought about his situation when a woman walked out into the living room. Jim recognized her as the same woman from the night before.

The young woman looked shocked to see him, "Commissioner Gordon, I wasn't expecting you home so early", she said. Jim looked at her, "I wasn't aware that I was home early", he said to her. The young woman nodded, "I see I just thought you'd be home around the same time as your wife. By the way Mrs. Gordon called, and said that she'd be home around 6:00 pm", she informed him.

Jim winced when he heard the babysitter refer to Barbara as Mrs. Gordon. That was gonna take some getting used to. "So I take it that my daughter's home?" He asked. The babysitter nodded, "Yes sir, she's asleep right now though", she told him. At that moment Barbara Lee started crying from the nursery.

They both smiled when they heard her crying. The babysitter was about to head to the nursery when Jim stopped her. "I got her", Jim said. "Are you sure?" The young woman asked. He nodded before he headed to the nursery himself.

Jim walked into the nursery where he saw Barbara Lee crying. He went over to the crib, and picked her up. Jim started to gently shush her to calm her down but it didn't work because Barbara Lee just kept crying. Realizing that she might need her diaper changed Jim took her over to the changing table, that was in the room, and laid her down. He checked, and saw that he was right so he replaced the old diaper with a new one before picking her back up again.

Jim smiled when she calmed down then he began to walk around the room with her. "Yeah, you're ok. You just needed a diaper change that's all", he cooed as he walked around the nursery with her in his arms. The baby looked up at him for a bit, and Jim could only smile back at her as she did so. Not too long later she fell right back asleep so Jim laid her back down in her crib. Afterwards he continued to look at her, and as he watched her sleep he couldn't help but wonder if she remembered him. He wanted to believe that she did. He wanted to think that when she looked at him she would recognize him because he hadn't been away that long. But Barbara Lee was still a newborn, and Jim couldn't help but sadly believe she probably didn't recognize him.

Jim gently kissed her on her forehead before he went back out into the living room where the babysitter still was. "Is she ok?" The young woman asked. Jim nodded as he sat back down on the couch, "Yeah, she just needed a diaper change", he told her. The young woman smiled, "Good", she said.

"So what's your name?" He asked her. The young woman looked at him, "Stacy", she answered. "Well I'm Jim", he told her. "I know Mrs. Gordon told me, and congratulations on the marriage by the way", Stacy said.

Jim wanted to roll his eyes but he managed not to, "Look Stacy I'm here now so you can go home if you want", he told her. Stacy shook her head, "I have to stay here unless Mrs. Gordon tells me otherwise", she informed him. "Really?" He asked her. Stacy nodded, "Yes sir, I only listen to her, sorry", she said as she gave him an apologetic look.

"It's ok", he said with a sign. Stacy looked at him for a bit before she went to check on Barbara Lee. Jim sighed again after she left the room. Not only was he in a marriage that he didn't want but now the babysitter wouldn't even listen to him. It was like Barbara had all of the power while he had none.

Jim just sat on the couch in silence as he looked at the floor when Barbara walked through the door. He looked up when he heard her. "You're home", she said to him as if she was surprised that he would be.

Jim glared at her, "Where else would I be?" He asked her. Barbara didn't answer him; she just rolled her eyes before she headed towards the nursery. Jim didn't follow her instead he stayed right where he was.

A moment later Stacy headed out into the living room, "I'll see you tomorrow Commissioner Gordon", she said before she walked out the door. Barbara came out a moment later, and looked at him. "Why so glum Jim?" Barbara asked in a taunting tone. Jim looked at her, "You know why", he told her.

"Did you get to work on time?" She asked him. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he said. When he'd left that morning he'd been worried because he didn't know how he was gonna get to work since, as far as he knew, his car was still at the club. But when he'd walked out to the parking lot he was surprised to see his car already there. He figured that just like with his luggage that Barbara had gotten some people to tow his car to the penthouse.

Barbara smirked, "You know this could all be over if you sign the papers relinquishing your parental rights", she told him after a while. "I'm not doing it", he told her. Barbara shrugged as she sat down on the other end of the couch, "Okay, well I guess we'll still be husband, and wife until you do", she said.

"Don't remind me", he said bitterly. Barbara leaned forward, "Jim, cheer up. You know being married to me won't be so bad. Who knows we may even begin to enjoy it later on", she taunted as she grinned at him.

Jim glared at her, "I don't see it", he said. Barbara reached over, and grabbed his chin so he could look at her. "Well I'm not sorry to hear that Jim because you forced my hand. Now you have to reap what you sow", she said then she pulled back. Afterwards she walked out of the living room, leaving Jim alone with his thoughts. A sad look crossed his face as he leaned back on the couch then he looked out the window at the city. His life was such a wreck.

**A/N- Well there's chapter two. Is Barbara going too far? Do you feel sorry for Jim? Who deserves full custody more? You can tell me what you think by reviewing, and thank you for reading.**


	3. Nothing To Offer

**A/N- Okay guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Gotham.**

Chapter 3- Nothing To Offer

It was nighttime when Barbara Lee's crying woke up Jim. He immediately sat up straight in bed, and blinked his eyes a few times as he tried to adjust to the room's darkness. "I'm coming", he said in a tired voice to no one in particular as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He waited a bit as he tried not to fall back asleep before he stood up then he walked out of the room.

Not fully awake, he stumbled a few times as he made his way to the nursery where his daughter was still screaming her lungs out. He got to the door, and rubbed his eyes when he noticed that the crying stopped. Jim looked into the room, and that's when he saw Barbara holding their daughter against her shoulder.

Jim thought he must've been dreaming as he stared at the site in awe. Barbara was shushing the baby as she gently bounced her in her arms. "There you go baby girl, yeah. Were you just crying because you wanted to see mommy? Well mommy's happy see you too but she needs to get back to sleep, and so do you", she gently cooed.

Jim watched in silence a little while longer until he saw Barbara place Barbara Lee back into her crib. While her back was turned he quickly made his way back to the bedroom, and climbed back into the bed. A few minutes later he felt Barbara climb back into the bed next to him as he pretended to be asleep.

It was morning time when Jim woke up again. He looked over at the clock that was on the nightstand next to the bed, and jolted awake when he saw the time. It was 8:00am, he had to be at work in an hour. He scrambled out of bed, and rushed to the bathroom only to find the door locked.

"BARBARA!" He yelled through the door. A few seconds passed before he got an answer. "I'll be out in just a minute", she said in a sing-song voice. Jim started to get angry as he pounded on the door, "BARBARA I NEED TO GET TO WORK!" He shouted. "I said I'll be out in a minute", she said in the same tone as before that only made him angrier.

Jim growled as he kept pounding on the door but Barbara only ignored him. He looked over at the clock, and saw that it was 8:10am. At this rate he was gonna be late.

He continued to pound on the door until he heard Barbara Lee start to cry. Frustrated, he growled again as he made his way to the nursery. Jim started shushing her as he made his way to the crib. He picked her up, and started walking around the room with her in his arms. "There, there, there now. Daddy's here, daddy's got you. I'm sorry if I woke you up. I didn't mean it", he said in a quiet voice as he continued to shush her.

Barbara Lee squirmed in his arms as she continued to cry. Jim just shushed her as he continued to walk around the room. He sighed in frustration when it seemed like he was getting nowhere.

He sat down in the rocking chair that was in the corner of the room, and started rocking in it all the while shushing the little baby that was in his arms. His goal was to get her to go back to sleep, or at least quite down. As he rocked in the chair Barbara Lee started to settle down. When she closed her eyes Jim stood up, and placed her back in her crib then he left the nursery.

When he walked into the living room he saw Barbara sipping coffee. Barbara looked at him, "Hi Jim, the shower's ready for you to use", she said with a smile. Jim angrily walked over to her, "Why didn't you tell me you were out of the shower?" He asked as he growled. Barbara shrugged, "I told you I'd be a minute", she said as if it were no big deal.

"You know I have to...I've been waiting...You know what never mind", he said in defeat then he headed to the bedroom. Barbara watched him go, "By the way Jim, we're out of hot water", she called out. Jim growled in frustration when he heard that but he didn't say anything. Barbara laughed then she sipped her coffee again.

About twenty minutes later Jim came out of the bedroom, dressed, and angry. He walked over to Barbara. "You should have told me that you were out the shower", he said angrily as he jammed his finger at her.

Barbara looked at him, "You seemed like you were busy", she said. "I was busy taking care of your daughter", he said loudly. Barbara smirked, "But Jim, she's your daughter too, remember? Besides I thought you wanted to take care of her?" She asked sarcastically. Jim could feel his face getting hot, and if there were a mirror so that he could see himself then he'd have doubt that he was getting red in the face too. Barbara's smirk grew as she watched him growl in frustration. To her this was better than cable because watching Jim Gordon get angry was the most entertaining thing ever. "I don't have time for this", he angrily muttered under his breath as he turned around.

Barbara watched him walk out the door, "Have a good day at work dear", she taunted. Jim ignored her as he left. Barbara laughed as she slowly shook her head then she went back to drinking her coffee.

* * *

Jim was late to work, like he knew he'd be. He was so angry at Barbara but he was angry at himself too for allowing her to get to him. But most importantly he was angry at himself for getting himself in this situation to begin with. Had he not killed Odgen Baker then he could have Barbara Lee, and he could still be with Lee. But because of what he did he was now stuck in a marriage that he hated.

He was sitting at his desk when somebody came in. "Commissioner Gordon", a voice said. Jim looked up, and saw Mayor James. Jim sighed, "What can I do for you Mayor James?" He asked as he tried to hide the annoyance from his voice. Mayor James sat down, "Why the Hell didn't you inform me of your marriage to Barbara Kean...No wait I'm sorry I suppose it's your marriage to Barbara Gordon now, right?" He asked annoyed. Jim growled under his breath, "My marriage to Barbara is none of your concern", he said quietly.

Mayor James laughed as he leaned back in the chair, "Yes it is. In fact it concerns this whole city. Now here I thought you were trying to make Gotham a better place but yet here you are marrying one of its most notorious crime bosses. So, tell me what are you two trying to cover up? A murder, money laundering, illegal arms dealing?" He asked angrily. Jim rubbed his temple with one of his hands, "No, we're not trying to cover up anything", he lied as he gritted his teeth while he rested one of his elbows on his desk.

Mayor James looked at him, "You're lying", he accused. Jim could feel his heart start to race as he looked at the Mayor. He didn't know how right he was. Jim was trying to cover up something by marrying Barbara. It just wasn't something she'd done.

Jim sat up straight in his chair, "I'm not lying about anything. My marriage to Barbara is based clearly on our feelings for each other. If you recall I was engaged to her years ago", he reminded him.

"Aren't you married to Dr. Thompkins though? I'd heard you two got married while the city was cut off from the mainland", Mayor James said. Jim's face fell, and his heart sank when the Mayor mentioned Lee. He missed her. He missed her more than anything at the moment.

Jim sighed then looked at him, "I wasn't legally married to Lee. We had a ceremony but after reunification I decided to break it off once I realized my feelings for Barbara", he said as he tried not to throw up. Everything he was saying was making him sick to his stomach.

Mayor James glared at him, "So, you broke off whatever it was that you had with Dr. Thompkins because you realized you still loved your ex-fiancé?" He asked. Jim gave his head a slight nod, "Yes", he simply said. Mayor James scoffed, "So this really is a marriage based on love?" He asked. Jim stared at him, "Yes", he repeated. Mayor James stood up then he pointed his finger at him, "Okay Commissioner Gordon, you win this round. But if I find out that she's done, or is doing anything illegal then I'll have you removed from being commissioner, and I'll have you both thrown in prison. Until then I'll be watching you both closely", he said before he turned around. Jim watched in anger as Mayor James walked out of the office.

Once he was gone Jim took his out cell phone. He looked at it, and the next thing he knew he'd thrown it across the office as he yelled in frustration. After that he took his stapler, and he threw that too. Next he took the chair that the Mayor had been sitting in, and he threw it. Pretty soon he was throwing a bunch of things around as he yelled.

When he was done throwing things he left his office, even more angry than before. Maybe that was because throwing his stuff around didn't help. It didn't help get the Mayor off his back, and didn't help him escape his marriage to Barbara either.

Once he was out of the building he got in his car, and drove off. He didn't care that he was leaving work early without telling anybody. He had something more important to do.

As he drove he thought about what his marriage was costing him. It'd already cost him his life with Lee, and now there was a good chance that it could cost him his job. Well he wasn't going to allow it to get to that point.

After a while Jim arrived outside a mansion. He parked his car, and got out then he angrily slammed the door. Afterwards he began to make his way to the mansion door. He knocked a few times before someone answered. It was Ed.

Ed grinned at him, "Jim", he greeted. Jim pushed passed him as he barged in, "OSWALD!" He yelled out. Ed closed the door, "He's busy Jim", he said as followed after him.

Jim ignored him, "OSWALD!" He yelled again. There was no answer so Jim walked around, with Ed following him, until he found Penguin in his study. Jim walked in. Penguin looked at him with a smile, "Jim, good to see you old friend", he greeted as he stood up.

Jim ignored his greeting, and instead grabbed Oswald by his suit. Ed was about to step in but Penguin stopped him. "You gave information to Barbara on me," Jim growled. "Barbara what are you...Wait you're talking about that file I gave to her on you? Is that what this is about?" Penguin asked. "Yes, you son of a bitch, and after what you did to me I ought to bash your face into the ground", Jim snarled as he continued to hold the other man by the suit.

"Come on Jim, after everything that we've been through together you'd do that to me?" Penguin asked with a smirk on his face. Jim shook him, "You listen to me, and listen to me good. You either tell me what she has on me, or else I'll kill you right here", he whispered. Penguin laughed, "Jim we both know you won't kill me. Unlike when you killed poor Odgen Baker you didn't have a daughter to think about", he told him.

Jim didn't say anything instead he pulled out his gun, and pointed it under Penguin's chin. "Tell me now", Jim said. Penguin didn't look the least bit frightened as Jim held the gun under his chin. "I could tell you Jim. But that won't change whatever it is that you're mad about", Penguin told him.

Jim thought about what he said, and realized Penguin was right. Nothing would change even if he did know what the evidence was because Barbara still had it in her possession. Jim put his gun away as he released his grip on Penguin then he took several deep breaths. Once he got his composure back he looked at Penguin. "Give me something on Barbara. I don't care what it is, just give me something", Jim said in desperation.

Penguin straightened his suit before he looked at him, "Trust me Jim I'd love to have something on Barbara but I got nothing on her, sadly. But even if I did I wouldn't hand it over to you", he told him. Jim could only look at him, "Why not?" He managed to ask. Penguin limped up to him, "Well because you're a hypocrite. You go around arresting people in the name of justice all the while hiding your own dirty deeds. You claim you're this hero cop who's gonna save Gotham, and clean up the streets. You say you're gonna rid this city of corruption when you are the very same corruption that you say you want to stop. But it's ok if you do something bad because it's in the name of good. Well it doesn't work that way yet you wanna put everybody else, who does something wrong, away. While you get to walk free. Well you can walk free this time but not without paying some kind of fee. So consider whatever it is that is happening to you to be karma", he said.

After Penguin finished his explanation Jim looked at him. He didn't counter with anything instead he shifted his gaze to the floor, and walked out of the room. Penguin, and Ed watched him leave.

* * *

Once Jim had driven away from the mansion he drove around the city for a bit before he parked his car on the side of the street. A look of sadness formed on his face as he looked at his steering wheel. He had nothing. Oswald couldn't give him anything on Barbara which meant she still held all the cards, and his freedom.

He continued to look at the steering wheel in sadness then without warning he hit it as he yelled. The horn honked as he did so but he just kept hitting it, and yelling. He didn't care about any of the possible onlookers that could've been looking at him from their cars as they passed by.

After a few minutes of yelling, and beating his steering wheel Jim finally stopped. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he started driving again. He wasn't going home, not yet at least because he still had one more stop to make.

* * *

Lee was at her clinic in the Narrows. She'd just finished an appointment with a patient, and was now arranging the tiny bottles in the medicine cabinet when she heard somebody walk in. "Lee", a voice said.

Lee turned around, and saw Jim standing a few feet behind her. "What do you want Jim?" She coldly asked before she continued with what she was doing. Jim stayed where he was, "I needed to see you. How have you been?" He asked before he realized what a stupid question that was to ask. Lee turned back around, and stared at him in anger. "How do you think I've been? One minute I'm happily married, and planning my life with you then the next thing I know you're breaking up with me so that you can marry Barbara. By the way how's that going? Are you two happily married? Where are you guys going for your honeymoon? No wait, where are you guys living? I need to know so that I can send you your wedding gift", she spat.

Jim looked at her in sadness, "Lee there is so much that you don't know", he whispered. Lee scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "I think I know everything there is to know Jim", she said. Jim shook his head, "No Lee, you don't. Look have you talked to Harvey?" He asked. Lee folded her arms, "Yeah the night you ended things, and yesterday. He stopped by here, and said that you wanted to explain things to me. Well I don't wanna hear your explanation", she told him.

Jim stepped forward, "Lee please just listen to what I have to say", he said in desperation. Lee held up her hand to silence him, "I said I don't wanna hear your explanation Jim because I already know what you're going to say. You're going to say that you realized that you still loved Barbara, and that you wanted to be with her", she said.

Jim sighed in frustration, "That's not true Lee", he told her. "Yes it is Jim. You wouldn't have married her if you didn't", she said. Jim could feel his heart start to race as he tried to maintain control over his emotions, "Lee I didn't marry her because I loved her. I married her because she's blackmailing me", he said in a rush.

Lee looked at him in silence, "What do you mean she's blackmailing you?" She asked after what seemed like forever. Jim sighed then he told her about how Barbara had evidence on him, and how she threatened to go to the DA unless he signed over his parental rights, or if he married her. "Don't you see? I had no choice", he quietly said as he looked at her.

Lee looked down as she processed everything that Jim had told her before she looked at him again. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked. There was no longer anger in her voice. Now it was just filled with hurt, and betrayal. Jim shrugged, "I didn't want you to stop me because I knew you would. But if I didn't marry Barbara then I'd either have to give up my daughter, or go to prison, and neither seemed like a good option", he said as his voice cracked. He was about to cry but he needed to hold it together.

Lee on the other hand was wiping away the tears that had fallen down her face as Jim told her his reasoning for not explaining what was going on. She still felt like he should have told her that way she wouldn't have been in the dark. "You could have told me Jim. I may not have been ok with it but I wouldn't have stopped you", she told him.

Jim looked at her with tears in his eyes but they didn't fall. "I know but I couldn't risk it", he said to her. Lee sniffed, "Well how are you gonna get out of this?" She asked. Jim shrugged, "I don't know. I don't have anything to use against Barbara", he said.

Lee scoffed as she rolled her eyes. Jim was completely trapped, and he had no way out. "You know this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't petitioned for full custody. Jim don't see? By doing that you've gotten yourself into a hole with no way out", she said in anger.

A tear fell down Jim's face. "I know I've gotten myself into a jam but I don't regret going after full custody. She's my daughter Lee, and I have to protect her", he said. Lee nodded in understanding, "Well you can protect her much better now", she said.

Jim walked up more closely to her, and touched her face. "I know this looks bad. But I will do what I can to get out of this. Until then just know that I love you, very much, and I will fight to get back to you because when I do we're gonna be a family. You, me, and Barbara Lee", he said.

Lee touched the hand that was touching her cheek as she looked at him. "Well there's not much for me to do except wait for you until that can happen. But until then the only thing I can say is that I love you too", she said. They looked each other in the eyes before Jim kissed her. She kissed him back before they broke apart.

"I'll try to visit you again soon", he whispered before he turned to walk out of the room. Lee turned back around, and looked at the medicine that was on the shelf. "Jim", she called out. Jim stopped, and turned around. "Yeah", he said. "Is she at least a good mother?" She asked. Jim thought about the other night when he'd seen Barbara with Barbara Lee. He couldn't lie, and say she wasn't. "Yeah, she is", he answered. Lee nodded but didn't say anything else so Jim walked out of the room.

* * *

After his visit with Lee; Jim headed back to the penthouse. He walked through the door, and was greeted by Stacy. "Hello Commissioner Gordon", she said with a smile.

"Hello Stacy", Jim greeted back as he gave her a slight nod. "How was your day?" She asked. Jim took off his coat, "Good, and yours's?" He asked. "It was good, me, and little Barbara stayed here the whole afternoon", she told him.

Jim took off his suit jacket, and looked at her. "How is she?" He asked as he referred to his daughter. Stacy smiled, "She's good, she still mostly sleeps during the day but as she gets older that'll change. Pretty soon she'll be awake during the day, and she'll start to sleep through the night", she informed him.

Jim nodded, "Looking forward to it", he said. He began to think about what it'd be like to spend time with his daughter while she was awake, and not crying. "Commissioner Gordon", Stacy said. "Please call me Jim, I insist", he said as he flung his suit jacket over the sofa armchair.

"Okay Jim, can I ask you a question?" She asked. Jim looked at her, "Sure thing", he said. "Well I started working for Mrs. Gordon a few weeks ago when I came back to Gotham after reunification, and you weren't here. You're little Barbara's father but the other night, when Mrs. Gordon had told me that you two had gotten married, is the first time that I've seen you. So, can I ask where you've been?" She asked. Jim sighed a little, "It's complicated", he told her. In all actuality it wasn't. Barbara was blackmailing him plain, and simple but he wasn't gonna tell Stacy that. She didn't need to be dragged into his mess.

"Just complicated?" Stacy asked as she wondered about the details. Jim nodded, "Yeah there was a lot going on before we'd gotten married but I'm here now, and that's all that matters", he told her. It was partly true. A lot had been going on considering the fact that he was gearing up for a custody battle that didn't happen.

Stacy didn't question him about it anymore, and instead she started to tidy up the penthouse while Jim sat down on the couch. An hour later Barbara Lee started to cry. Jim stood up while Stacy looked at the nursery. "She's hungry", she informed him with a smile.

Jim gave her a look of concern, "How do you know?" He asked. Stacy shrugged, "It's only a guess but she usually likes to eat around this time of day", she answered before she went over to the fridge. She got out a bottle, heated it up, and headed to the nursery. Jim followed her from behind.

Stacy set the bottle down on a little table then she picked up Barbara Lee. Jim looked at them both, "Can I do it?" He asked with uncertainty in his voice. Since his daughter has been born he hasn't gotten the chance to feed her. Barbara namely took care of that. Stacy gave him a look of uncertainty, "Are you sure?" She asked. Jim nodded, "Yes", he said.

Stacy handed him Barbara Lee. Jim held her before he went to go sit down in the rocking chair, Barbara Lee squirmed for a bit then settled down. Jim smiled as he looked at her.

Stacy passed him the bottle, "There you go", she said. Jim smiled at her before placing the tip of the bottle in Barbara Lee's mouth. The baby started sucking the milk out of the bottle. Jim gently kissed her forehead as he fed her, "Daddy missed you so much baby girl", he quietly told her. She was the only bright side to being stuck in his marriage to Barbara.

Stacy smiled at them before she headed back out into the living room. When she walked back into the room the door opened, and Barbara walked through the doorway. "Stacy", she greeted. Stacy looked at her, "Mrs. Gordon", she greeted back with a smile.

"Is Jim home?" Barbara asked her. Stacy nodded, "Yes mame, in fact he's in the nursery right now feeding little Barb", she said as she gestured her head towards the nursery. Barbara walked past her then stopped, "By the way you can go home", she told the young woman as she turned her head around to look at her. Stacy nodded before she grabbed her things, and walked out the penthouse. Barbara walked into the nursery where she saw Jim feeding Barbara Lee. She couldn't help but notice the little smile that was on his face.

Jim didn't notice Barbara instead his focus was on the baby that was in his arms. "You mean everything to me. I love you so much. You are the most important thing in daddy's life", he quietly said to her. Barbara didn't say anything to make her presence known instead she just watched the two.

After a while Jim began to get the feeling that somebody else was in the room. He shifted his gaze up to find Barbara looking at him. He didn't greet her instead he went back to looking at little Barbara. Barbara continued looking at them for a bit then she turned back around, and headed to the living room.

A while later Jim emerged from the nursery holding an empty bottle. He ignored Barbara as he placed it on the counter then he walked over to the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey then poured some into a small glass.

"How was your day?" Barbara asked as she watched him. Jim didn't look at her, "Long", he responded before he drowned the drink in his mouth. Afterwards he passed her to head back into the nursery.

"You don't have anything to say to me?" She asked him. Jim stopped, and looked at her. "I don't have to say anything to you Barbara. Our agreement says that I just have to live here; it didn't say anything about me having to make small talk with you", he coldly told her.

She angrily got in front of him so that he couldn't go into the nursery. Jim glared at her. "I'm not liking your attitude Jim. I suggest you get a new one, and fast", she said as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't like my attitude, well too bad. I don't like being forced into a marriage that I never wanted", he told her. "You brought yourself into this marriage", she said. Jim looked at her, "You forced me into it", he insisted.

"Well we're married. Willing, or not, and you are going to respect your vows", she said as she got in his face. "I do", he said. "Liar because I know about the kiss", she said.

Jim could only look at her as he thought back to his kiss with Lee. "You-", he said but he was interrupted. "Cheat on me again, and see what happens", Barbara said.

Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "I didn't cheat on you", he lied. Barbara scoffed, "Okay you can lie as much as you want but I know the truth. I have eyes on you Jim so just remember that the next time you even think about stepping out on me", she told him.

Jim growled, "You bitch", he said as he thought about people following him around. She was starting to go too far. She forced him into a marriage, she has evidence that could get him sent to prison, and now she has people following him. This was all beginning to be too much.

"I'm telling you this as a warning Jim; stay away from Lee, or else", Barbara threatened. "What're you gonna do if I don't?" He asked as he snarled. "You don't wanna know", she said before she headed into the bedroom. Jim watched her as she left.

**A/N- Well there's chapter three. I have to ask, is Barbara going too far, or has she already gone too far? By the way this seems like something she would do, have Jim followed around. Another thing if it seems like they're talking to the baby weird it's because I'm trying to get the whole cooing at a baby right. You know the way people talk to babies. I'm trying to get that right. Well if you guys would be so kind to leave a review telling me your thoughts on this chapter, and the story so far as a whole then it would be greatly appreciated. I like reading peoples reviews. Anyways thanks for reading.**


	4. You Got Played

**A/N- Hey guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Gotham.**

Chapter 4- You Got Played

As the weeks went by Jim slowly got settled into his new life. It was really simple actually; in the mornings he would go to work, and in the afternoons he would usually head home. He didn't talk to Barbara much in fact he tried to avoid her as much as he could. Which was rather easy considering they lived in the same penthouse. But the only thing he had to do was just stay out of the same room as her. She still did things to annoy him but he would often grit his teeth, and just ignore her. He was still pissed about the whole, "having him followed around thing", but he wouldn't let her know that for fear of it giving her some kind of joy.

Harvey was still present in his life, thankfully. The older man would sometimes stop by his office to talk to him, and check on how he was doing. Which Jim was grateful for because he needed his best friend more than ever it seemed like. On the days that Jim didn't head straight home it was because he would usually meet up with Harvey at a bar to talk, and to have a drink. Sometimes Harvey would even stop by the penthouse to spend time with him, and Barbara Lee but he'd make sure Barbara wasn't home first. He didn't trust her not to find some reason to keep him away.

Jim even got to know Stacy more. Besides Harvey she was the only person he really talked to, and had conversations with. He learned that she was out of town when the bridges blew, visiting family, and that when she came back to Gotham she got a job as a babysitter while she went to school part time at Gotham University. She told Jim that she was majoring in teaching, and that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher because she loved kids. Which Jim could tell was true because she was really good with Barbara Lee, and he could see that she cared about his daughter a lot. So, he figured it was a great career choice for the young woman.

Jim had definitely gotten settled into his role as Barbara Lee's father. He made it a priority to be an active part in her life which made sense. After all that was the big reason why he married Barbara in first place so that he could be a father to his little girl.

It didn't even take him long to figure out her needs, and wants whenever she'd cry. When she was hungry she would drool, or she'd put her fist in her mouth. If she needed to be changed then she'd pull at her diaper though that one wasn't hard to figure out most of the time because he'd be able to smell that her diaper was full whenever he'd pick her up.

Whenever she wanted to be held then she would start to get fussy, and squirm around until somebody picked her up. It was Jim that could get her to settle down most of the time though it wasn't easy, and it'd sometimes take a while for Barbara Lee to stop crying. But she seemed to respond to him the most. Stacy said that he was a natural because of how good he was with his daughter.

But even though Jim had gotten used to his new life it still didn't stop him from trying to find a way out of it. He told Lee that he'd do whatever he could to get out of his predicament, and that's what he was going to do. If only it were simple.

He was in his office, thinking about his situation when Harvey interrupted his thoughts. "Are you sure there's nothing on Barbara that you can use? I mean anything from her past, anything at all that would get her to back off?" Harvey asked him. Jim looked at him from his chair, "No, nothing that can be proven that is. Even Oswald couldn't give me anything although he made it clear that if he did have something he still wouldn't help me", he told him as he thought back to his conversation with the mob boss.

Harvey growled as he clenched the armrest on the chair that he was sitting in, "Penguin; if I even get my hands on that son of a bitch, I'll break his neck", he said. Jim looked at his friend, "Trust me, that'll just add to our problems", he said to him. No doubt Barbara would find out about it, and use it as even more leverage against Jim.

Harvey sighed, "How's Barbara Lee?" He asked. Jim smiled a little at the question, Harvey had gotten so close to his daughter. He was even calling himself Uncle Harvey when it came to her. "She's great, in fact she's the only thing that I look forward to whenever I have to go home", Jim said. He didn't like using the word home a lot because the penthouse didn't feel like home. It felt more like a prison. Which was ironic because prison is where he didn't want to go so he married Barbara to avoid going there. But now he's come to realize he just traded one prison for another.

Harvey smiled as he leaned back in the chair, "I'm glad that you at least have your daughter partner", he told him. Jim's face fell as he sadly sighed, "I am too. But I wanna get out of this situation for her. As she gets older I don't want to pretend like things are normal because they're not, and she deserves better than that. She deserves to grow up in a normal environment", he said as he rested his chin on his fist while he thought about his daughter's future.

Harvey looked at him, "You know it's not like Odgen Baker was some innocent victim that Penguin told you to kill. He was a criminal who did dealings with the mob, and who knows what else. He got a hit put out on him because he decided to screw over the wrong person. He was a piece of crap who probably nobody even misses. If anything you did the citizens of Gotham a favor by killing him", he told him.

Jim shifted his gaze at his friend, "Well he was a piece of crap who had rights, and I had no right to kill him", he said. Which is true because no matter how he spun it around it didn't change the fact that Odgen Baker was a man who didn't deserve to be killed. But Jim did kill him, and as a result that man's blood was on his hands. His face fell as he continued to think about it.

Harvey looked at Jim, and saw that killing Odgen was bothering him. It was obvious by the expression, that read guilt, on his face that he was feeling remorse for his crime. "Hey man, look you did a terrible thing, I get that", Harvey said.

Jim glared at him, "Thanks for making me feel better, Harvey", he sarcastically said. Harvey held his hand up at him, "Would let me finish? I wasn't done yet", he told him. Jim leaned back in his chair, "Go ahead", he said with a sigh. "Anyways you did a terrible thing, I get that. But you're still a good guy, a Hell of a lot better than most, and you were a great cop. Now you're on your way to becoming a great commissioner. What you did, in the past, doesn't change that. It doesn't change all of the good that you have done, and are still doing. Yeah, you did a bad thing but so have a lot of people. I mean I'll put it like this Jim; everyone makes mistakes but you have more than made up for yours, and I for one am proud of you", Harvey said.

Jim smiled, "Thanks Harvey, I needed to hear that", he said. "Don't mention it. But to pay me back for making you feel better you can buy the first round of drinks later," Harvey said as he smiled at him. Jim laughed, "Sure thing", he said.

* * *

A few hours later Jim, and Harvey were at their new favorite bar having drinks. Jim was actually having one of his few moments, since marrying Barbara, where he found himself having some fun. In a lot of ways it felt like old times, and he needed moments like these. They made him feel like he wasn't so trapped.

Harvey drowned the beer that was in his mug, "Man I'm telling you we need you back at the precinct. Ever since you left it's been pretty much like chaos", he told him. Jim looked at him with a smile, "It was chaos even when I was there", he reminded him then he thought back to all the times when the precinct had been shot up.

"Yeah but now we got a bunch of newbies running around who can't do their damn jobs right. It's gotten to the point where I can't take it anymore. In fact me, Alvarez, along with Harper are thinking about putting in for our twenties, and retiring", Harvey joked although he'd never actually do it even if he was tempted almost everyday to do exactly that. Jim chuckled, "You; I could see doing that. But Alvarez, and Harper I can't see doing that. At least not yet", he said as he took a sip out of his bottle.

Harvey chuckled too, "Yeah they wouldn't", he agreed. Jim looked at him, "How are they?" He asked. Harvey shrugged, "Other than being annoyed at all the newbies, they're doing pretty good", he said. "Tell them I said hello", Jim said. "I will", Harvey told him.

Jim nodded, "Thanks", he said then he finished up his drink. He was about to order another when a song on the jukebox started playing. His face fell as he listened to it. This song, the tune, he remembered it.

Harvey noticed his look of sadness, "Jim, you ok?" He asked with concern. "This was our song", Jim said quietly. Harvey listened to the song for a bit before he realized what the problem was; the song that was playing was Jim, and Lee's wedding song. The first song they'd danced to as husband, and wife. ' _Crap'_ , Harvey thought to himself as he looked around the bar to find out where the song was playing from.

Somebody else must've thought that the song sounded too sappy for a bar because it stopped playing before it even finished. "Problem solved", Harvey muttered before he looked at Jim again. Jim looked at the bartender, "Give me another beer", he told him.

The bartender nodded before he passed Jim another beer. Jim nodded his thanks then he started drinking the entire beverage. Harvey could only look at him, "When was the last time you spoke to Lee?" He asked. Jim looked at the empty bottle that was now on the counter, "The day that I explained everything to her", he said.

Harvey nodded in understanding; Jim had already explained to him about Barbara having him followed around. He didn't like that, and he'd been seething mad after Jim had told him. "Look man if there's anything I can-", he began to say before he was interrupted. "You can't", Jim snapped as he looked at him in anger.

Harvey could only stare at him. He didn't know what to say so he didn't bother saying anything else. Jim didn't say anything either he just stood up, put some money on the counter then walked out of the bar. "Where are you going?" Harvey asked as he too put some money counter before he followed his friend out the building. "Leave me alone Harvey", Jim said as he looked around for his car.

Harvey walked up to him, "Where're you going?" He asked with concern. Jim didn't look at him, "I don't know", he answered truthfully. He had no intention of going back to the penthouse even though it was already dark, and he should've been home hours ago. But he couldn't go back there. He wasn't in the mood to deal with whatever antics Barbara was up too.

"Come back inside man", Harvey said. "No", Jim angrily responded. Harvey jammed his thumb backwards towards the bar, "But we were just having fun a second ago, and we still would be if that damn song hadn't played", he told him.

Jim angrily whirled around to face him, "That song just reminded me of everything that I don't have. Of everything that I've lost", he told him. Harvey stared at him, "You still have your daughter partner", he reminded him.

"For how long? As long as I play Barbara's game I get to be in little Barbara's life. But only if I'm married to Barbara. Except I don't want to be with Barbara I want to be with Lee. This life that I have with Barbara is supposed to be the life that I have with Lee. We're supposed to be raising Barbara Lee together but we're not, and there's nothing I can do about it. So, I'm sorry if every reminder I get of Lee, and the life we're supposed to be living makes me angry", Jim said. When he was done ranting he couldn't help but notice that his heart was racing, and that he was breathing heavily. He hadn't meant to get so worked up but he couldn't help it.

Harvey looked at him, and for a while he didn't say anything to his former partner. It was like he was at a loss for words. "Come on", Harvey said. Jim had his gaze shifted towards the ground, "I said I don't want to-", he said before he was interrupted. "I said come on", Harvey insisted. Jim sighed in defeat, "Okay", he said he was about to head into the bar but he was stopped. "Not there, follow me", Harvey said. Jim sighed again before he followed him away from the bar.

* * *

Jim was confused when Harvey said that they should take a drive, and he was even more confused when Harvey had driven them back to his apartment building. "Why did you bring me here?" Jim asked bitterly. "You'll see", Harvey said as he got out of the car. Jim did the same.

He didn't say anything as he followed Harvey to his apartment. "Look Harvey I should be going", Jim said. Harvey unlocked the door, "You're gonna wanna stick around, partner", he said as he opened the door.

Jim sighed in frustration as he walked in the apartment. "Hi Jim", a voice said. Jim's eyes widened when he recognized the voice. He looked up, and saw Lee standing in the living room with a smile on her face.

Jim ran over to her, "Lee", he said before he hugged her. Lee hugged him back, "It's been a long time", she commented before they slightly pulled away. Jim touched her face as he looked at her. It'd been three weeks since he'd last seen her. He knows that he'd told her that he'd visit her soon but with Barbara having him watched he didn't know how to see her without being caught. So, he just stayed away. Even though he didn't want to.

Jim looked over at Harvey. He knew that his friend had something to do with Lee being there. It was obvious that he'd set it up for them to meet. "How did you get her here without me knowing?" Jim asked as he looked at him. Harvey smiled, "I texted her to meet us here before I drove. I told her to use the spare key that I leave under my mat in case you were wondering how she got in", he explained.

Jim smiled at him in appreciation before he turned his head to look back at Lee. She smiled at him. "I'm so sorry I haven't been able to visit. Barbara found out about me seeing you the last time because she was having me followed", Jim explained as he whispered. Lee touched his cheek, "I know, Harvey explained all of that in his text", she told him.

"It's so good to see you", Jim said as he continued to whisper. "It's good to you too", she said as she used her thumb to stroke his cheek bone. Jim leaned forward to kiss her but Lee pulled away. Jim looked at her in confusion, "What's wrong?" He asked. "Jim, you're married", she said without looking at him.

Jim furrowed his eyebrows, "So? That marriage means nothing to me", he told her. Lee looked at him, "It still doesn't change the fact that you are married. Whether you want to be, or not. The last time we kissed shouldn't have happened, even though I'm glad it did. But it still didn't feel right, it felt wrong", she said.

"Wrong?" Jim asked in confusion. He didn't understand what the problem was. Lee looked at him, "I love you Jim but until you can break away from Barbara then we can't be together, at least not like that", she explained.

Jim was about to say something until his cell phone buzzed. He took it out, looked at it, and saw a message from Barbara. _Barbara: Where are you?_ Jim sighed in frustration as he looked at his phone. "What is it?" Harvey asked. Jim turned his head to look at him, "It's from Barbara, she wants to know where I am", he told him. This was getting ridiculous, first she had him followed now she was sending him texts basically demanding to know where he was. She was starting to turn into one of those jealous wives that follow their husbands around, and demand to know where they are at every moment of the day.

Harvey raised an eyebrow, "I thought she had people tailing you?" He asked. "I guess they're not as good as she thought, or they are watching me, and they told her where I'm at,'' Jim said before he texted back. _Jim: I'm Harvey's._ Jim looked at his phone after he sent the text. He didn't see any point in lying. He wasn't gonna tell the whole truth but he wasn't going to outright lie. If Barbara goons were following him then they'd know that he was at Harvey's, and if he lied then she'd surely find out about it. _Barbara: Well get home, now._ Jim growled in annoyance as he put away his phone. "What's the problem?" Lee asked as she looked at him. Jim looked back at her, "Barbara wants me home now", he answered.

Lee looked away from him, "You should go", she said. Jim gently grabbed her arm, "Lee", he said gently. He wanted to stay with her, so that they could spend time together. Harvey looked at them, "We really should get going, partner. Who knows what she'll do if you don't get home soon", he said.

Jim looked over at him, and thought about it some before he nodded in agreement. It was best he leave now before Barbara sent somebody to fetch him. He looked back at Lee who looked upset that he was leaving so soon. "I know I basically said this before, and it took weeks to see you again but I'll make sure that it doesn't take that long next time. So, Lee, I'll see you soon", Jim told her. Lee nodded in understanding. She didn't say anything as tears filled her eyes.

Jim looked at Harvey. "Ready to go?" Harvey asked. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he said before he walked out the door. Harvey looked at Lee, "Wait about thirty minutes after we go to leave", he told her. If the people that are following Jim had followed him from the bar back to Harvey's apartment then they wouldn't know that Lee was there. When he leaves with Jim then they'd follow him back to the penthouse which means they wouldn't see Lee leave, or know that Jim had met her there.

Lee nodded at him in understanding before Harvey followed Jim. Lee watched as he closed the door. She didn't do anything else except stand there with tears still in her eyes.

* * *

Jim opened the door, and walked inside the penthouse where he saw Barbara waiting for him. Her arms were folded as she glared at him. "Where have you been?" She asked angrily. Jim looked at her as he tossed his things across the side of the room, "After work I went out with Harvey to have a few drinks. Afterwards we went back to his place", he answered truthfully.

"Any reason why?" She asked. Jim rolled his eyes in annoyance, "I don't have to explain myself to you", he told her. Barbara growled, "Excuse me? I am your wife. You owe me an explanation, especially since I was here for part of the afternoon, and most of the evening taking care of your child. Alone I may add", she said angrily.

Jim sighed in frustration before he looked at her, "I'd had one to many, and I was a little bit drunk. I couldn't drive so Harvey drove me back to his place so that I could sober up. I thought it was a good idea, and I would think that you wouldn't want me drunk around the baby", he said. Now that part was a lie right there but at least he was partially truthful. Not that he owed her that, or anything really.

Barbara looked at him for a bit to see if he was lying. "Whatever, just don't let it happen again", she said. She walked to the bedroom, Jim watched her as she did so, grateful that she hadn't caught him in his lie. "How's Barbara Lee?" He asked. Barbara stopped, and looked at him. "Asleep, no thanks to you. It took me forever to get her down, and I think she wanted her father", she told him.

Jim growled, "What do you want from Barbara? I can't be here 24/7", he loudly told her. Barbara growled too, "You're a father Jim. You can't just go off whenever you want to hangout with Harvey, and get drunk. If you want to do that instead of taking care of your daughter then you need to sign over your parental rights. So, if you're gonna be here great but if not then leave because I can do this on my own, I don't need you, and I don't need to foolishly believe that I can count on you", she said.

Jim's eye twitched as he looked at her, "IF YOU THINK I AM GONNA SIGN OVER MY PARENTAL RIGHTS AS A FATHER THEN YOU'RE WRONG BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN! SO STOP TRYING TO FORCE ME TO!" He yelled. "I'M NOT FORCING YOU TO DO ANYTHING!" She yelled back. "YES YOU ARE!" He yelled again. Barbara took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down, "I'm not doing this with you", she said as she held up her hand. Jim looked at her, "Neither am I", he said coldly.

Barbara started to walk towards the bedroom again, "You either want to be there for her, or you don't. I don't care", she said. Jim growled, "I DO WANT TO BE THERE!" He shouted. Just then Barbara Lee started crying from the nursery. They both looked towards the room when they'd heard her start to cry. Barbara looked at Jim, "Your daughter's crying, if you want to be there now's the chance to prove it", she told him. Jim looked at her before he headed off to the nursery.

Barbara sighed as she shook her head before she heard a buzzing sound coming from Jim's coat pocket. Curious, she raised an eyebrow before she decided to investigate. She went through his coat's pocket, and pulled out his phone. She looked at it, and saw a text message from Lee. _Lee: I miss you._ Barbara growled in anger as she looked at the phone. That son of bitch, she told him, no she warned him to stay away from Lee, and yet he ignored her. Enraged she started messaging back, pretending to be him. She'd teach him not to disrespect her. _Jim: I need to see you, now. Please come over, right away._ It didn't take long for Lee to text back. _Lee: Jim we can't._ Barbara raised an eyebrow as she smirked when she saw Lee's text. How noble, the other woman actually had more respect for the wife than the husband did. Barbara texted back. _Jim: It's important just come over to the penthouse right away._ Not a minute later Lee texted back. _Lee: What about Barbara?_ Barbara continued to smirk as she texted back. _Jim: She's not here. She had to go do something important, and she won't be back for the rest of the night. Just please come over._ Lee texted back after a few seconds. _Lee: I'll be right over. Just give me about twenty minutes._ Barbara texted back. _Jim: Okay, the door will be unlocked. Just come right in._ Lee didn't text back so Barbara turned off the phone, and put it back in Jim's coat pocket then she went to go sit on the couch. A few minutes later Jim came out of the nursery. He didn't say anything as he went over to the counter, and poured himself a drink. Jim drunk it in one drink, "I'm going to bed", he announced when he was finished then he headed to the bedroom.

"How's Barbara Lee doing?" She asked. She needed to keep him in the room, and if that meant finding a way to make small talk then she'd do it. Jim stopped, "She's doing ok. Right now she's sleeping, and I'd like to keep it that way", he said without looking at her. "Are you hungry?" She asked. "No", Jim answered before he started walking towards the bedroom again.

Barbara looked at the clock that was on the wall. She still had a few minutes to go before Lee got there. "Jim", she called out. Jim sighed in frustration as he stopped again, "What?" He asked in annoyance. Barbara stood up, "We need to talk", she told him.

Jim sighed again before he turned around to look at her, "About?" He asked. Barbara looked at him, "Us, and you staying out late", she said. Jim rubbed his temples as he once again sighed, "Look Barbara we've already been through this once tonight, and I'm tired. So, if you want to have a serious discussion then we can have one tomorrow, after work, okay?" He asked. Barbara looked at him, "No, we need to talk about this now", she said before she took a quick glance at the clock. It wouldn't be too much longer until show time.

Jim glared at her, "I really don't want to talk about this right now", he said. "Well too bad because I do", she said. Jim walked over to her, "I'm trying to compromise here Barbara, and you keep fighting me every step of the way", he told her. "Well maybe if I didn't think that you weren't taking your role as a father seriously then I wouldn't have to talk to you", she said.

Jim growled in frustration as he furiously ran his fingers through his hair while he paced the room in anger. He could feel his temper rising, and he knew that he needed to get outta there. "I need to get some air", he said as he headed towards the door.

Barbara looked at the clock again then at Jim before she grabbed his arm, and managed to get him to look at her. Before he could protest she kissed him. Jim didn't pull away, and instead she was surprised when he actually kissed her back.

They stood in the middle of the living room kissing when all of a sudden the door opened. "Jim", a voice said in shock. Jim pulled away when he heard his name then they both looked over where they saw Lee staring at them, with her mouth open.

Barbara smirked as she looked at the other woman, right on time. Meanwhile Jim could only look at Lee with a stupid look on his face. Tears filled Lee's eyes as she looked at him in anger, she didn't say anything instead she turned, and walked right out the door. "Lee, wait", Jim called out as he hurried after her. Barbara laughed out loud as she watched him go.

Lee was only a few feet away from the door when Jim caught up to her. She stopped walking when he touched her shoulder. "Leave me alone", Lee angrily said. "Lee it's not what it looked like", Jim said. Lee looked at him, "Really? What was it then? Because to me it looked like you were about to have a good time with you, _wife",_ she seethed. "Lee you have to understand-", Jim desperately tried to explain before she interrupted him. "I don't have to understand anything, goodbye Jim", Lee said before she walked away. Jim didn't follow her instead he watched, in agony, as she walked down the hall.

Jim rubbed his temples as he sighed in frustration then he let out a yell. Afterwards he took a deep breath before he turned around. He walked towards the door but before he could get inside Barbara closed the door.

Jim tried to open the door but it was locked. He started pounding on it with his fist but she didn't answer. "BARBARA!" He yelled. He heard her giggle on the other side of the door. "Goodnight Jim, have fun sleeping outside", she taunted.

Jim growled, "BARBARA! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" he shouted as he pounded on the door. He heard Barbara giggle again. "No", she said before she started laughing out loud.

"BARBARA I SAID OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" He shouted. Barbara didn't say anything this time. Jim slammed the door with his hand as he tried to think of a way inside. His keys were in his coat pocket which was in the penthouse along with his cell phone. While he was trying to find a way inside Barbara was in the living room with little Barb. Barbara smiled at her, "Yeah daddy was being a bad boy so mommy had to punish him by making him sleep outside", she cooed at the baby as she rubbed their noses together.

Back outside the door Jim was still trying to think of a way inside. He knew that unless he had a key there was no way he was getting back in tonight. He'd thought that if he had his phone then he could call for help but he realized even if he did have it he didn't know who he would call to get him back inside.

Jim took a deep breath as his back faced the door when he heard it open. He turned around, and before he could react he saw Barbara throw some stuff on the ground then quickly close the door. He saw her smirk as she did so.

Jim ran over to the door, "Barbara", he growled as he pounded on the door. "Have fun Jim", Barbara taunted. Jim sighed as he shook his head then he looked down where he saw that she'd given him a pillow, and a blanket.

Still enraged, he unfolded the blanket, and attempted to make himself comfortable for the night. But he knew he wasn't getting any sleep. Not as long as he was sleeping on the hard ground. As he tried to find a more comfortable position on the ground he felt something move in his pants pocket. He reached in, and pulled the item out. He managed to laugh when he saw what it was, a key.

Jim smiled at the small object; he'd never been so happy to see something so small in his life. He'd forgotten that he even had a spare key on him, he'd made one just in case he ever lost the one that Barbara had given him, or in this case got locked out of his own home, and couldn't get back in because he left the original inside. Jim shook his head in amusement then he got up, and unlocked the door.

Barbara's back was to him when he walked in. He tapped on her shoulder, startled she turned around, and a look of shock appeared on her face when she saw him. Jim got in her face, "Don't you ever, do that to me again. Is that clear?" He asked angrily. Barbara smirked at him, "Do what? Punish you for cheating on me? I told you to stay away from Lee, and you didn't listen. Now you see what happens when you disrespect me", she taunted.

Jim got even closer in her face until they were only inches apart, "What did you do?" He asked in anger as he snarled. Barbara's smirk was still on her face as they stared at each other, "Nothing you didn't ask for", she said. "What; did; you; do? I'm not gonna ask again", he said. Barbara got a mischievous look on her face, "Well I saw that she'd texted you so I pretended to be you, and I got her to come over here. I figured if I could get her to see us kissing then it would make her mad at you, and give me a laugh in the process. Which it did, mission accomplished", she said.

Jim growled, "You little-You conniving-You manipulative-", he said as he tried to find the right words. Barbara pretended to give him a look of sympathy, "What's wrong Jim? Cat got your tough? Are you so angry that you can't even form a simple sentence? You know if that's the case then little Barb is gonna be able to talk circles around you once she starts talking. How's that gonna make you feel? A baby talking circles around you. It's gonna eat you alive. You know what else is funny? A baby has a better hold of her temper than you, isn't that sad?" She asked. Jim could feel his face get hot, "Shut up", he snarled as he looked at her.

Barbara let out a laugh, "What are you gonna do if I don't Jim?" She asked. Jim got even more close in her face until their noses were practically touching, "I said shut up", he whispered. Barbara smiled, "No", she whispered in his ear before she looked at him again. Jim glared back, and before either one could say another word he kissed her. She kissed him back with the same fiery passion.

Jim moved back, towards the door, and used his foot to close it. He even managed to lock it from behind as he continued kissing her. After he did that Barbara started unbuttoning his shirt, neither breaking apart. As they kissed, Jim with Barbara still kissing him, started walking backwards, this time towards the bedroom. Where they stayed for the rest of the night.

**A/N- Well this is gonna be hard to explain to Lee. By the way I know the characters on the show use 90's era flip phones but you could text on those which is why I added the texting part. Anyways tell me what you think in the reviews, and thank you for reading.**


	5. The Mistakes Of Our Past

**A/N- Hey guys, here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Gotham.**

Chapter 5- The Mistakes Of Our Past

The next morning Jim, and Barbara were sleeping in bed. Jim's eyes snapped open when he felt somebody stir up against him. He looked over where he saw Barbara with one of her arms draped over his chest. She opened her eyes, blinked, and smiled when she saw him. "Good morning lover", she said with a sly smile.

Jim hopped out of the bed when she started stroking his chest with her finger. She giggled as she looked at him. He ignored her as he put on his pants from the night before then he started to gather his other clothes which had all been discarded around the room. Barbara watched him as he did so with the sly smile still present on her face.

When he got near the bed to get his shirt she crawled over, and touched his arm. Jim growled as he glared at her, "Get your hands off of me", he said as he jerked his arm away. Barbara smirked, "But Jim, you didn't seem to mind when I had my hands on you last night. In fact you couldn't keep yours off of me", she said as she thought back to the night before.

Jim walked over to her, and yanked his shirt off the bed. "This meant nothing", he growled as he continued to glare at her. Barbara continued to smirk, "Whatever you say, lover", she said then she got out of the bed. Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm not your lover", he said through gritted teeth. Barbara shrugged as she covered herself with the covers, "I'm gonna go take a shower. You're free to join me", she said as she stroked his chin. Jim flinched at her touch but she didn't care. She slowly dropped her hand as she walked towards the bathroom. Jim watched her as she walked in.

After she was out of the room he went over to the other side of the bed, and sat down. He placed his face in his hands, and groaned. How could he do that? How could he sleep with Barbara? But most importantly, how could he do that to Lee? As these questions circled his mind he began to feel his stomach churn then he quickly grabbed the tiny trash can that was near the bed, and threw up in it.

When he was done, he spit in it then tossed it to the side. Afterwards he put one of his hands on his face while the other held his stomach. He still felt sick.

After a few minutes of sitting on the side of the bed he stood up, and got out some new clothes then he started getting dressed. He didn't care that he didn't shower, he had to go somewhere important, and it couldn't wait. When he was done getting dressed he made his way out of the penthouse.

* * *

Jim made his way to the Narrows where Lee's clinic was. He was walking because he didn't have his car. It was still at the bar where he'd left it the night before.

It took him a little over an hour until he reached his destination. By the time he arrived he was hot, and sweaty but he didn't care. He didn't care that he probably looked like a wreck, he needed to see Lee.

He walked in, and looked around until he saw her. She was in a room, folding a blanket. "Lee", he called out before he hurried over to her. Lee looked over at him when she heard him call her name, and glared. "What do you want Jim?" She asked angrily as she threw the blanket on the bed. Jim looked at her, "I need to explain what happened last night", he said in desperation.

Lee looked at him, "I don't wanna hear about last night, alright? I'm embarrassed enough as it", she told him before she turned away from him. "Lee I-", Jim started to say but she interrupted him. "Did you forget that I was coming over, or were thinking that you could kiss her goodbye before I showed up?" Lee asked as she whirled around to face him. Jim stared at her as he felt his heart pound in his chest, "No", he managed to choke out.

Lee scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "I know what I saw Jim, and what I saw was you two kissing", she spat. Jim shook his head as he cleared his throat, "No, Lee she kissed me", he protested. Lee stared at him, "You looked like you were enjoying it", she said loudly.

"But I wasn't", he said in an equal tone. Lee scoffed again as she shook her head, "You know what Jim if you wanna be married to Barbara, okay. But I won't be your mistress", she said as she folded her arms.

Jim placed both of his hands behind the back of his neck as he tried to find a way to explain to her what had really happened. He yelled out in agony as he searched for the words but they wouldn't come. Lee just glared at him, it was obvious that she felt no sympathy towards his distress.

"Lee you have to know that that's not what I want", he finally said. "But you want Barbara though", Lee said. "Lee she set me up", Jim practically yelled out. Once he said the words he began to wonder why he couldn't say that in the first place. It must've had to do with all the distress he was feeling due to Lee being mad at him.

Lee still had her arms folded as she continued to glare at him, "How did she set you up Jim?" She asked. Based on the tone of her voice Jim knew that she didn't believe him. Jim looked at her, "She pretended to be me as she texted you. It was her who told you to come over, not me then she waited until she knew when you'd arrive, and kissed me. She wanted you to see us kissing so that you'd hate me", he explained.

After he finished his explanation Lee just continued to glare at him. There was a long pause as Jim waited for her to say something. "I don't care", she simply said before she turned her back towards him. "Lee didn't you hear me? I said she set me up", he said angrily.

Lee turned back around, "I said I don't care Jim. Okay? I don't. I'm done, I'm done with Barbara, I'm done with her games, and I'm done with you because I can't do it anymore Jim. We are only in this situation because of the choices _you_ made. Your mistakes have affected us, and it's not the first time either. I am so sick, and tired of dealing with the consequences of your mistakes. Not only that but if you weren't stuck in this mess then you'd most likely be tangled up in another mess that you created because of something else that you've done. So, I'm done. I'm not doing it anymore ", she said.

Tears filled Jim's eyes, and a lump formed in his throat as he listened to her. He shook his head when she was finished ranting. "Lee, I love you. You have to believe that", he said.

"Jim I love you too but this has all become too stressful", she said. "So?" He asked. Lee stared at him, "So, I'm getting out now while I can", she said. Jim shook his head at her words, "No, Lee you said you'd wait for me. You said that you'd wait until I found a way out of this mess", he protested. Lee sighed in frustration, "But when is that going to be Jim?" She asked. Jim glared at her, "I don't know but it's only been a few weeks", he said.

"But a few weeks can turn into months, and then what? A few months turns into a few years? I know I said I'd wait, and I still would if I at least knew that you were trying to find a way out your marriage. But you're not", she said. "Yes I am", he said. Lee shook her head as she laughed in disbelief at his statement, "Well it sure doesn't seem like it, and if you are then you sure are taking your sweet little time. Meanwhile you seem to be having some fun", she said as she referred to his kiss.

Jim sighed in frustration, "I told you she set me up", he reminded her. "Jim I'm now at the point where I don't care, as I've said before", Lee said. "Lee if I could leave I would. Trust me I would leave Barbara in a heartbeat to be with you. But I can't. I can't leave without my daughter. You know what she'll do to me if I do leave without signing my parental rights over", he said. "Yeah I know, she'll get you sent to prison but it still doesn't change the fact that you're not doing anything to make sure that doesn't happen", Lee said.

"I can't- I mean I don't know how- I can't find a way out", Jim finally managed to say. Lee looked at him, "So, you see why I can't stick around? You're not trying", she said. Jim took a deep breath, "But I am trying. I only need you to give me some more time, please", he begged.

"I'm sorry", she said. Jim tried to keep himself from crying, "If it were the other way around I'd wait for you, and you know it", he said as he began to get angry. Lee nodded, "I know, and as I've said I'd be willing to wait around too. But this has nothing to do with the length of time. This has to do with the choices you make Jim. Everything that you do affects the people around you, and you don't care", she said as she looked at him.

Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "I do care", he protested. Lee shook her head, "No, you don't, or else you wouldn't do the things you do. You'd learn but you never seem to learn, and I don't think that you want to. You're not honest with yourself just like you were hardly honest with me back when we first started dating", she argued.

"So, this is about honesty now?" He asked. Lee shook her head, "This is about you, effort, and yes honesty", she said as she stared at him. "I can be honest Lee", he said in desperation. "No you can't", she said. "Yes I can, okay? I can be honest now. I slept with Barbara last night, that's right I slept with Barbara", he told her. At that moment he realized that he must've sounded very cruel. But he didn't care. He needed her to see that he could be honest though he knew he could have found some other way to do that.

Lee blinked a few times as she stared at him then she scoffed, "You slept with Barbara? Well I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, she is your wife", she said. Jim had a desperate look on his face as he stared at her, "I wasn't telling you that to hurt you. I told you because I don't want there to be any secrets between us when we're finally able to be together again", he told her.

Lee looked at him in anger, "No, Jim you don't seem to understand, we're not going to be together, we're over. So stay married to Barbara, or don't. I don't care", she said. Tears started to run down Jim's face. "Lee please", he begged. Lee shook her head, "I'm sorry Jim, I really am", she said before she moved past him to walk out of the room. "Lee, wait", he said as he gently grabbed her arm to get her to stay. Lee stopped, and turned her head to look at him. "Goodbye Jim", she said with finality before she yanked her arm away then she walked out of the room. Jim cried as he watched her leave the room.

* * *

Harvey walked into the bar, and looked around. He'd gotten a call about half an hour ago from Jim telling him to meet him there. Harvey continued to look around until he spotted his former partner sitting at the counter drinking a beer.

Harvey walked over to him, "Jim, what's wrong buddy?" He asked in concern when he'd reached him. At first Jim didn't say anything instead he just stared at the half empty bottle that was on the counter then he took a deep breath. He was about to say something but his voice cracked, and he was silent again. Harvey had a sympathetic look on his face as he watched his friend.

After a while Jim managed to say something. "She left me", Jim said in a quiet voice. Harvey looked at him, "What?" He asked not understanding what was wrong. Jim didn't look at him, "Lee left me, well she didn't leave me, it's more like she doesn't want to see me anymore", he explained in the same tone of voice.

Harvey stared at him, "I don't understand, partner", he told him. Jim glared at him, "She doesn't wanna see me anymore Harvey", he snapped. Harvey blinked a few times as he looked at him, "What happened?" He gently asked. Jim took a deep breath then he explained what had happened the night before. He told him everything except the part where he'd slept with Barbara. The last thing he needed was for Harvey to be mad at him too. "Lee hates me", Jim concluded as he looked at the counter.

Harvey looked at him, "She doesn't hate you partner. She just needs time", he said. Jim shook his head, "No, she's done with me. She made that clear", he said sadly with tears in his eyes.

Harvey patted him on the back, "It's gonna be ok", he told him. Jim shook his head again, "No, it's not", he said as he stood up with a look of distraught on his face. He started to walk away, Harvey tried to stop him by grabbing his arm but Jim jerked away from him, and made his way to the door. Harvey watched him, in concern, as he left.

* * *

Jim arrived back at the penthouse. He'd decided not to go to work since he'd missed most of the work day, and instead just headed back to the penthouse. He walked through the doorway, and saw Barbara in the living room holding Barbara Lee. He didn't say anything as he walked over to the couch, and sat down.

Barbara looked at him, "I wasn't expecting you home so soon", she said. Jim turned his head to look at her, "I'm not in the mood Barbara", he told her then he looked at the floor. Barbara glared at him, "In the mood for what? I only said that I wasn't expecting you home so early", she said clearly offended by his attitude towards her.

Jim glared at her, "That, right there. You're trying to antagonize me, and I'm not in the mood for it", he told her. Barbara rolled her eyes, "Me making a simple statement is considered antagonizing? Well if you take that as antagonizing then it doesn't take much to set you off", she said.

Jim growled as he decided to change the subject, "Why are you home anyway?" He asked as he looked at her. Barbara shrugged as she continued to hold Barbara Lee in her arms. "I decided to call in sick, and spend the day with little Barb here", she said as she gestured to the baby in her arms.

Jim looked away from her, "Whatever", he said in a quiet voice then he placed his face in his hands. Barbara continued to stare at him, "So, since I've explained why I'm still home you can now explain why you're home so early, and why you're so moody", she said. Jim sighed in frustration, "Barbara I told you before that I'm not in the mood", he practically yelled as he turned to face her.

Before Barbara could respond Barbara Lee started to cry. Jim sighed as he got off the couch then he walked over to them. Barbara gently bounced the baby in her arms as she shushed her, "It's ok", she whispered to her.

Jim looked at Barbara Lee who was still crying in her mother's arms. "Give her to me", he said in a calm voice as he reached for her. Barbara handed her to him. Jim took Barbara Lee, and shushed her until she quieted down. Afterwards he took her to the nursery. He returned a few seconds later where he found Barbara waiting for him. Barbara glared at him, "You wanna tell me what your problem is?" She asked as he walked past her. Jim stopped, and turned around to face her. "You're my problem", he said.

Barbara looked at him, "What're you talking about?" She asked annoyed. Jim growled in frustration as he walked over to her, "Lee left me because of what you did last night", he said angrily. Barbara raised her eyebrow at him, "Lee left you? Wow, and the only thing I wanted was for her to be mad at you. I guess I may have overdid it a bit", she said nonchalantly as she shrugged.

Jim growled, "You think this is funny?" He managed to ask without yelling. Barbara looked at him, "Not exactly", she said as if it were no big deal. Jim glared at her, "Don't you understand what you did? Because of you Lee now wants nothing to do with me", he practically yelled. Barbara stared at him, "Well now, who's fault is that Jim?" She asked in the same tone. "YOURS!" He shouted as he got in her face. Barbara got right back in his face, "Wrong Jim, it's yours; I warned you to stay away from Lee, and you didn't listen. So I had to teach you a lesson", she said angrily.

Jim backed away a little, "Well because of your little game Lee said that she wants done with me", he said as he glared at her. Barbara looked at him in shock, "You think I wanted that? Well I didn't. I was starting to like Lee. I didn't wanna hurt her. I just wanted to hurt you", she told him.

Jim looked at her, "YOU HAVE DONE MORE THAN HURT ME! I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO YOU! BUT YET YOU HAVE MANAGED TO DESTROY ANY CHANCE THAT I MAY HAVE HAD AT HAPPINESS!" He shouted with tears in his eyes. "YOU DID DO SOMETHING TO ME! YOU TRIED TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER AWAY! SO I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO TO KEEP HER! I DIDN'T DESTROY YOUR CHANCE AT HAPPINESS JIM! YOU DID THAT!" She shouted back. Jim glared at her. His eyes were red, and he had tears in them but they didn't fall. "I hate you", he said in low voice.

Barbara returned his look, "I'd love to say that I hate you too. But hate may not be the right word for how I feel when it comes to you. You wanna blame me for what's going on but you can't because you know that deep down inside you're the real cause for it all. Everything that has happened is your fault but you refuse to admit it. You've made a ton of mistakes Jim Gordon that have landed you where you are right now. The only mistake that _I_ made was going into your office that night, and sleeping with you. But I can't say I regret it because I wouldn't have my daughter. However she is the only good thing that I have _ever_ gotten from you because other than Barbara Lee you have done nothing but bring me pain just like you do to everyone that you've ever claimed to love, and care about. So, maybe Lee did the right thing in getting away from you because we both know that you would've screwed up, and that she would've eventually left you", she said.

Jim glared at the counter when Barbara finished speaking. He avoided looking at her, and instead looked at the many glasses that were on the counter. He picked one up, and fiddle with it for a bit as he thought about everything that she'd said to him. "Son of a bitch", he said in frustration as he threw the glass at the wall. Barbara glared at him until Barbara Lee started to cry. Barbara looked towards the nursery then at him, "Nice job Jim", she said before she went to go tend to their daughter. Jim just went back to glaring at the counter.

**A/N- Well, that was intense. You can tell me what you think in the reviews, and thanks for reading.**


	6. Push Back

**A/N- Hey guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Gotham.**

Chapter 6- Push Back

Jim was in the living room, on a blanket, playing with Barbara Lee. She giggled as he lifted her in the air which caused him to smile as he slowly brought her down. It'd been a few days since Lee had, "broken up with him" , if you could call it that, and a few days since Barbara had told him off. He'd taken some time off work so he could deal with the recent events that had happened to him, and to get himself together. Which didn't make the higher ups happy but he didn't care. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to work, and therefore he figured it'd be best if he took some time off. Which he did.

Barbara Lee giggled again when Jim rubbed their noses together which only caused his grin to widened. "I love you kid", he muttered as she continued to giggle. Spending time with her was definitely helping him.

The sound of the door opening caused him to turn his head where he saw Barbara enter the penthouse. He didn't say anything as he went back to playing with Barbara Lee. "You still haven't gone back to work yet?" Barbara asked as she looked at him. Jim didn't look at her, "I'll go back next week", he said as he smiled at his daughter who smiled back. Barbara rolled her eyes, "So, a few more days of sulking? How nice", she said sarcastically. Jim ignored her comment, and continued to play with his daughter. He wasn't going to allow her to agonize him because he knew that it'd lead to an argument.

Barbara looked at him for a bit before she walked to the bedroom. Jim looked at his daughter, "Sorry about that baby girl", he whispered. The baby just looked at him which caused a sad smile to form on his face. He didn't like arguing in front of her which is why he tried to avoid it as best he could. She may have been too young to understand what was going on now but as she got older she'd start to understand, and it'd start to effect her. Jim didn't want that, and a part of him would like to think neither would Barbara.

Barbara walked out of the bedroom, and almost tripped over one of Barbara Lee's toys. Barbara growled, "Jim, if you're gonna stay home, and not work then the least you could do is make sure this place is clean", she said. Jim's face twisted into a scowl, he wanted to say something back, something that he knew would start a fight but for the sake of his daughter he managed to restrain himself. Jim forced a smile on his face, "Yes...Barbara", he painfully said without looking at her.

Barbara glared at him, "Clean it up, now", she demanded. Jim kept the smile on his face as he looked at her, "Okay", he said. Barbara glared at his smile before she walked over to the counter, and poured herself a drink.

Jim laid little Barb down in her playpen before he picked up the toy that Barbara had almost tripped over then he began picking up all the other toys that were scattered around the living room. He didn't know how all of the toys had managed to get scattered around but he wasn't gonna waste his energy worrying about it. After he was done gathering them all he took them back to the nursery then he walked back into the living room where Barbara was sitting on the couch.

Jim walked over to the playpen, and picked up Barbara Lee. He smiled as he gently bounced her in his arms. Barbara looked at him, "Here, let me hold her", she said as she held out her arms.

"She's ok", he said as he looked at her with the smile still on his face. Barbara looked at her daughter, "I can see that but you've had her all day, and now I would like to spend some time with her", she said with her arms still stretched out. Jim looked at his daughter before looking back at Barbara, "I'm just afraid that she'll get fussy if I hand her over, and I don't want her upset", he explained.

Barbara glared at him, "So, you're saying that she'll get upset if she's with me?" She asked him angrily. Barbara Lee started to get fussy. Jim looked at the baby, "No Barbara I'm just saying...You know what here", he said in defeat as he handed her over. Barbara took her, and that's when Barbara Lee started to cry. Barbara shushed her, "Hey, mama's here, don't cry", she gently cooed but the baby still cried. Jim walked off to the side, "I told you so", he said as he looked at them.

"Shut up Jim", Barbara said in annoyance as she quickly glanced at him before looking at her daughter again. She smiled at the baby as she gently bounced her in her arm, and kept doing that until she calmed down. Barbara smiled at her success then got up, and headed to the nursery. "Nice work", Jim said when she passed by him. She didn't comment back.

When Barbara reentered the living room she saw Jim putting on his coat. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked. Jim shifted his gaze towards her, "I'm gonna meet Harvey for drinks, I'll be back later", he responded as he straightened out his collar.

Barbara stared at him, "Just make sure you're back before 5:00pm", she told him. Jim kept his gaze on her, "For what?" He asked. "I'm having dinner with some, let's just say, important people, and they want to meet my husband. Speaking of which", she said before she stopped then walked to the bedroom. Jim watched her go. She emerged a moment later, holding a tie.

She placed it near his face. "I'm not having dinner with your friends", Jim said in annoyance as she held the tie near his face. He wondered why she was doing that.

Barbara ignored his comment, "Yeah, this should do", she said as if she'd been worried that it wouldn't look right on him. Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "Didn't you hear what I said?" He asked. Barbara moved the tie away from his face, "I heard you, and I don't care. Now make sure you get your butt back here before 5:00pm", she said.

Jim glared at her, "Why? Why do I have to be here?" He asked. Barbara stared at him, "I told you before they want to meet my husband. I need you here because there is a very important deal on the line, and if I can impress them by showing them that I have a happy family unit then I can get said deal", she explained.

Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "So, it's that type of dinner?" He asked. Barbara nodded, "Yeah", she said. "Great", he said under his breath as he rolled his eyes. It was the type of dinner where he had to play the happy husband, make small talk, and probably pretend to like whoever was there just so Barbara could close some stupid deal that will probably make her millions. A night of his suffering just so she could make a buck. Which meant she'd reap the benefits with him getting no reward.

"Cheer up Jim, if we'd gotten married the first time when I was still an art gallery owner then you would've had to have dinners like this one a lot, and probably attend dinner parties too", Barbara said as she placed the tie near his face again. "That was different. I'd been willing to do those when I chose to ask you to marry me", he told her. Barbara looked at him, "Not this again; you chose to marry me this time. I didn't put a gun to your head, and force you to propose. I gave you an option, and you took it", she said.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Yeah, blackmailing is much better", he muttered. Barbara glared at him, "You better behave tonight Jim. I mean it. This deal is very important, and I can't have you ruining it", she said.

Jim sighed in defeat as he looked at her, "Okay", he said bitterly. Barbara grinned, "Good", she said as she continued to look at the tie then him. "What are you doing?" He asked in annoyance. Barbara's grin widened, "I was just checking to make sure this was the right tie for you to wear tonight, and it is. It matches your eyes", she said before she moved the tie from his face.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Brilliant", he said sarcastically. He turned away, and walked towards the door. Barbara looked at him as he did so, "Be back before 5:00pm", she reminded him. Jim didn't look back at her, "Yeah, I know", he said as he continued to walk towards the door. She watched him leave.

* * *

After drinks with Harvey where he complained to him about his duties for the night Jim returned to the penthouse. Barbara had been waiting for him when he walked through the doorway, "You're late", she told him. Jim looked at her before looking at the clock that was on the wall, "It's only 4:30pm. If anything I'm early", he countered in disbelief.

Barbara pulled him towards her, "Yeah, but because you need to get ready you coming in at this time means that we'll be cutting it close by the time you're actually ready", she said. Jim growled in frustration, "Is Barbara Lee sleeping?" He asked as he changed the subject. Barbara nodded, "Yeah, now if only she stays that way until they leave", she said.

Jim looked towards the nursery, "Not possible", he told her. Maybe if Barbara Lee got too fussy then he could spend the evening trying to keep her calm instead entertaining Barbara's guests, or if she got too fussy then maybe they'd cut the evening short, and leave. Both would be good options for him.

"Well they'll only be here a few hours, and stay until 8:30pm at the latest. I just put Barbara Lee down a few minutes ago before you came through the door so she should stay asleep until they leave", Barbara explained. She would've asked Stacy to watch Barbara Lee at her place but the young woman had class that evening. Selina wasn't an option either since she had plans that she couldn't put off. Barbara had a feeling of what those plans were but she didn't push for details because there was no way she was gonna be traced back to anything illegal if she could help it.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Goodie", he said sarcastically. "Go change", she ordered as she gestured her head towards the bedroom. "What's wrong with what I got on?" He asked as he used his hands to gesture at the clothes that he was already wearing. He was already in a suit, and tie so he didn't know why he couldn't just wear what he had on. Barbara looked at him, "Too wrinkly, and I don't have time to iron them out. So, you'll find a nice suit already pressed, and waiting for you on the bed with the tie that I picked out", she told him.

Jim growled in frustration as he rolled his eyes again, "Okay", he managed to say under his breath before he headed towards the bedroom. He found the suit, and tie lying on the bed. They were in a clear plastic bag hanging on a hanger. He guessed that right after she'd ironed them she placed them in the bag so that they wouldn't get ruined.

He changed out of his clothes, and got dressed afterwards he headed back out into the living room. Barbara smiled at him, "Wow you look great, and it's all thanks to me. You know, it's a good thing that we're married now because if we weren't then you'd probably always look a mess. But don't worry, now that we're together, I'm here for you", she said as she gently patted his cheek. Jim flinched at her touch but otherwise he didn't say anything.

Ten minutes later Barbara's guests arrived. They were a couple obviously, a few years older than them, and exactly the type of people that Jim had been expecting to meet. They were obviously rich, they looked snobby, and they probably were snobby. If all these things were true then he felt like it was gonna be a long night.

Barbara looked at him, "Jim this is Mr, and Mrs. Davenport. Mr. Davenport, Mrs. Davenport this is my husband Jim", said with a smile as she introduced them. Jim forced a smile on his face, "Pleased to meet you", he said.

Mr. Davenport smiled at him, "Likewise Commissioner Gordon. It's nice to finally meet the man that was able to hold this city together while it was cut off from the mainland", he told him. "It wasn't easy", Jim said. Mr. Davenport smiled, "I imagine not. I'm just grateful that me, and my wife got out of there before the bridges blew", he said. Jim kept his smile plastered on his face, "I'm sure you are", he said back. It was painful just to say those words. But Jim wouldn't allow the other man to know that. "Where's the baby at?" Mrs. Davenport asked with a smile. Barbara looked at her, "Asleep", she answered.

Mrs. Davenport looked at her, "Shame", she said. Jim resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "Yeah", he said though he got the feeling that she didn't mean that. If anything she was probably happy that his daughter wouldn't be disturbing them. Which only made Jim want Barbara Lee to disrupt their evening even more. The quicker this visit ended the better.

Jim shifted his gaze towards Barbara who gave him a warning look. The look basically said that he better not ruin this for her. Jim shifted his gaze back to the other couple in the room. Barbara looked at them , "Shall we head to the kitchen?" She asked. Mrs. Davenport smiled, "Yes", she answered.

Barbara gave Jim one last warning look as everybody followed her into the kitchen. Jim didn't say anything he just stared back at her. It was just for a few hours he just had to pretend like he was enjoying himself for a few hours. He knew that it shouldn't be too hard but it wouldn't be cakewalk either.

The night was boring like he figured it'd be. They had dinner where they listened to Mr. Davenport, talk about himself throughout the whole meal. Afterwards they headed back out into the living room, sat down, and listened to Mr. Davenport now talk about his stupid boat. No wait, sorry his yacht. Not that it mattered because Jim wasn't interested either way. But he pretended to be. The whole time Mr. Davenport talked, Jim smiled, nodded his head, and acted like he cared.

On, and on he talked then his wife joined him. It seemed like once they were done telling one boring story they'd go into the next. Jim desperately wanted to yell at them to be quiet but he held his tough. He didn't do it for Barbara's sake though he did for his own.

"So, Commissioner Gordon", Mr. Davenport said. Jim looked at him, "Yes", he said with a forced smile on his face. A forced smile that he'd been wearing pretty much the whole night. At this rate he felt if the evening went on any longer then his face would freeze, and he'd be left with a permanent smile.

"Any reason why you didn't have a huge wedding?" Mr. Davenport asked. Jim didn't know how to answer that at least not without telling him the real reason for why he was married to Barbara. At the same time though he couldn't help but think that it was none of this man's concern. Barbara looked over at Jim, she was smiling but she was basically wanting him to make something up, and to do it fast. Jim looked at him, "You know, we wanted to keep it small, and simple", he lied.

Mr. Davenport looked at him, "Interesting but I'd actually heard that you'd gotten married to some other woman before reunification. What was her name? I think she's a doctor? Dr. Thomas, was it?" He asked him. "Dr. Lee Thompkins", Barbara answered. Jim felt his heart sink when he heard Lee's name, and thought back to their wedding. It seemed so long ago yet it'd only been a few months.

Mr. Davenport clapped his hands together in delight, "Yes, Dr. Lee Thompkins, that was her name. So, tell me Commissioner Gordon why did you divorce her so quickly?" He asked. Jim's eye twitched a little as he looked at him with a frown, "We weren't legally married, and it didn't workout anyways", he said quietly.

Mr. Davenport stared at him, "Sorry to hear that. So, what led you two to getting back together?" He asked. Jim was about to say something until Barbara beat him to it. Barbara smiled, "I guess you could say we found our way back to each other. Old feelings that were still buried there came bubbling to the surface", she said as she rubbed his leg.

Jim couldn't help but glare at her when she said that. He felt his rage boiling as he looked back at the other couple with a fake smile while clenching his fist. He had to stay calm, so he tightened his fist to help him do just that.

Mrs. Davenport smiled at them, "That's right, you two were actually engaged at one point", she said. "That's right", Barbara told her. Jim just remained silent with his fist still tightened. "Well I'm glad that you two were able to find your way back to other", Mrs. Davenport said.

Barbara looked at her, "Thank you I'm happy to be married, and so is Jim", she said as she smiled over at him. Mrs. Davenport stared at them, "Well you two make a great couple, it only makes sense that you got back together", she said with a smile. Jim looked at her, "Yeah, that, and I got her pregnant. I definitely had to marry her when that happened", he said. He felt Barbara squeeze his leg after he'd said that, and it wasn't a gentle squeeze either. It was a, 'You messed up', squeeze. She glared at him real quickly before smiling at the other couple. His statement had made her mad but he didn't care. He couldn't sit there any longer, and pretend that he'd married her because of some stupid feelings resurfacings bullshit that she'd made up to hide the real truth. So, if she was mad, good. He didn't care about her feelings.

Barbara expected Mr. Davenport to be uncomfortable after Jim's statement but instead the older man chuckled. "I can't blame you on that. My father would've made me do the same thing if I'd gotten my now wife, here, pregnant back when we were still just dating. Good thing it didn't come to that though", Mr. Davenport said. His wife smiled at him.

Barbara chuckled a little when he said that but Jim could tell that it was fake. She found nothing that he said funny. Her chuckling was just to help keep the evening going smoothly even though she was angry. Jim had to hand it to her though, a few months back she may have killed everybody in the room, especially him.

After about another hour of making more small talk, that Jim nor Barbara was interested in, the deal had been made to Barbara's delight, and Jim's annoyance. Afterwards they said their goodbyes, and the other couple left. Now Jim was left alone with Barbara.

Barbara slowly closed the door but didn't turn back around. Jim stared at her backside, and wondered if he should just hightail it to the bedroom. But after he thought about it some he decided against it because even if he did go there he knew that she'd just follow him so he stayed standing where he was.

Jim continued to stare at her backside as the minutes ticked by. "You son of bitch", Barbara angrily said as she whirled around to face him. There it was; her wrath, and here Jim thought that maybe she may just go to bed angry. He should've known that he wasn't gonna get off that easy.

"Language", he replied as he made his way over to the counter. "How could you embarrass me like that?" She asked as she followed him. Jim poured himself a drink before he looked at her, "Embarrassed how?" He asked as he pretended to play dumb. Barbara glared at him, "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Do you know how much money you would've cost me tonight?" She angrily asked. Jim looked at her, "I don't really know to care", he said before he took a drink.

Barbara growled, "Millions, that's how much. You know I asked you for one favor, and you couldn't even give me that", she said. Jim glared at her, "I don't see what the problem is, you got what you wanted, no harm done", he protested. Which was true, she got her stupid deal.

Barbara resisted the urge to yell, "That's not the point. The point is you embarrassed me, and you could have messed up the whole deal", she told him. Jim took another drink, "Well maybe next time you should just tell me to stay away until the guests leave", he said.

"They wanted to meet you", she said. "Well I didn't want to meet them. You should've asked me beforehand if I wanted to have dinner with them instead of springing it on me the day of", he said. Barbara looked at him, "So, this was payback for not asking you? You were gonna cost me my deal just because I didn't ask you beforehand?" She asked. Jim narrowed eyes at her, "You could say it was for that reason, and the fact that you made it seem like I married you because I wanted to be with you", he said then he finished his drink.

Barbara glared at him after he said that. So, that was the reason? He'd almost ruined her deal just because he was angry at her for making up a story about how they'd gotten back together? She couldn't believe him. Well she could but that didn't make her any less angry at him.

Barbara sighed in frustration, "You are such an idiot sometimes Jim", she said as she slowly shook her head. "Well what does that make you for marrying me?" He asked. Barbara looked at him, "What did you say?" She asked. She wanted to be sure that she'd heard him correctly. Jim shrugged, "Well if I'm an idiot then you must not be so bright yourself because you married me", he told her as he walked towards the bedroom.

Barbara growled in anger as she followed after him, "You son of bitch. Take it back right now", she said. "No", he said before he walked into the room. Barbara followed him inside but before she could react, or say another word he quickly hurried out the room then he closed the door. He kept his weight against the door, as Barbara attempted to open it, while he looked around for something to lock it with. He saw one of the stools near the counter, he grabbed it, and placed it underneath the knob. Barbara started banging against the door to open it but to no avail.

Jim smiled at his success. Barbara stopped banging against the door, "Jim, open this door right now", she said in a warning tone. Jim's smile widened, "No I'm not gonna do that", he said. "JIM I TOLD YOU TO OPEN THIS DOOR!" She screamed. Jim smirked, "I think I'm gonna sleep on the couch", he said as he ignored her demand. Barbara started screaming, and banging on the door again.

Jim continued to ignore her as he walked over to the couch. He took off his shoes then laid down on the sofa. A smile formed on his face as he closed his eyes. He knew that eventually he would have to pay the price for how he'd embarrassed her that night but he didn't care. For now he was gonna enjoy his small victory.

**A/N- Well, finally, Jim won a round. We know that's not gonna sit well with Barbara. So, what do you think she's gonna do? You can tell me what you think in the reviews, and thanks for reading.**


	7. Wits, Wills, Respect

**A/N** - **Hey guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Gotham.**

Chapter 7- Wits, Wills, Respect

It was early in the morning when Jim woke up. He looked over at the other side of the bed but he didn't see Barbara next to him. Grateful, he carefully got out of the bed but he kept his eyes on the empty spot where she should've been. There was no way she was gonna get him, not again.

It'd been a week since they'd had the Davenports over for dinner, and Barbara was still making him pay for embarrassing her. It was petty stuff really but annoying nonetheless. Like when he'd come home one day to find that she'd made chili. He didn't see anything wrong with that since she was having chili too. So he ate some out of the bowl that she'd had waiting for him. Not too long after his first bite though his whole mouth began to burn, and pretty soon it felt like it was on fire. The next thing he knew he'd been on the ground gasping for breath, and fanning at his mouth to get it to stop burning. Meanwhile Barbara stood over him, glaring. It'd become clear at that moment that she'd made his bowl of chili spicy on purpose just to get back at him.

The next thing she did was water down his beer. Jim had found this out when he'd come home from work one day, and found that it tasted funny. As soon as he realized what was wrong he'd confronted her about it but she claimed she didn't do it. Which was a lie, he knew it was her, he could tell from the look in her eyes that it was her, and that this was another way of getting back at him.

The latest thing she'd done was mess with his car. She must've done something to the engine because when he got in it one morning he found that it wouldn't start. Now he had no proof that it was her who messed with his car but with everything else that she'd been doing to him he didn't need any. Well needless to say he had to put his car in the shop, which had cost him a lot of money but at least it got fixed.

Jim continued to look at the empty spot on the bed as he thought about all of the things Barbara had done to him in the past week. First his chili, then his beer, and later his car it was hard to know what she was gonna do next, or when she was gonna do it. She seemed to strike at random so he was keeping his guard up. He knew that she was intent on making him suffer but for how long? When was she gonna initiate her final act of revenge so that he could have some peace? Unless keeping him on his toes was her final act of revenge. Psychological warfare seemed out of character for Barbara but maybe that was why she would do it. So that he wouldn't know.

Jim looked at the empty spot for a bit before he slowly walked away then headed towards the bathroom. He half expected her to jump out, and attack him. But physical violence wasn't something she'd done, yet. He was ready for her though, in case that was next on her list of things to do.

He walked into the bathroom then jumped into the shower. As he was washing off he heard the door open then quickly shut. Jim stood motionless in the shower, "Barbara", he called out as he stood under the water. There was no reply back.

Jim peeked outside the curtain, and looked around but he didn't see anybody. Confused, he figured that he must've been hearing things before he went back to showering. When he was done he turned off the water, stepped out, and began drying himself off with a towel.

After he was done drying off he heard a buzzing sound. He looked around the bathroom to find the source of the noise but he couldn't find anything. The buzzing continued; Jim stood motionless as he looked around until he saw it, a bee.

Jim stared at the insect, how did a bee get in there? There were no windows in the bathroom. There was a window in the bedroom but it had a screen in it so there was no way the bee could have gotten in that way. As he thought about how else the bee could have gotten in, the bee continued buzzing around the bathroom.

Jim jumped back as the bee flew close to his face. He fell against the clothes hamper as the bee started buzzing around him. Jim used his hand to swat at it when it got too close to his face again but that only made it angry. It started to attack him.

Jim dodged the insect as best he could but it still continued its pursuit of him. He hurried to the door but when he turned the knob he found that it was locked. Jim growled in frustration as he banged against the door to try to force it open but it wouldn't budge.

Jim faced the bee once more. It got close to his face again so like last time he swatted at it to get it to leave him alone. Once again though his swatting made the insect angry. Jim ran away from it but it followed him, and since the bathroom was small he couldn't really escape it.

After about twenty minutes of dodging, and swatting Jim found himself back near the door. The bee was still angry, and he was tired. So, tired that he had his back against the door, and he was sitting on the floor. The bee, for what seemed like the millionth time, was near his face again. Jim stared at it, and without warning he used his hands to smash it. Well that didn't work because the insect was too fast for him, and before he could move it stung him on the left side of his neck. He yelled out in pain as he grabbed the spot where the bee had stung him.

Jim continued yelling out in pain until the door opened. He looked up, and saw Barbara. She stared at the swollen spot on his neck after he'd dropped his hand.

Barbara glared at him, "Don't ever embarrass me again", she said in a warning tone before she walked away. Jim watched her leave then he angrily got off the floor, and started getting dressed. He should've known that she was the one who placed a bee in the bathroom. How she did it he didn't know. But the point was that he didn't see it coming just like he didn't see it coming any of the other times.

After he finished getting ready he walked out into the living room where he found Barbara standing near the counter. Jim angrily walked over to her, "A bee, seriously Barbara? You put a bee in the bathroom?" He asked. Barbara stared at him, "What? It's not like you're allergic to bees", she told him. Which was true, he wasn't.

"It hurt though", he practically yelled. Barbara glared at him, "Keep your voice down before you wake the baby", she said. Jim looked towards the nursery then at Barbara again. "You went too far", he muttered as he rubbed the spot on his neck.

"Stop overreacting, it's just one little bee sting, you'll live, and now you know not to ever embarrass me in front of company again. So, in case you're wondering we're even", she told him. Jim glared at her as he stopped rubbing his neck, he was about to say something until he realized that he was gonna be late for work. So, he grabbed his coat, and headed towards the door. "I'll see you when I get home", he said quietly before he walked out the doorway. Barbara watched him leave.

* * *

Despite his uneventful morning the rest of Jim's day went by smoothly. He was able to ignore the throbbing pain in his neck, and get his work done. While he was still pissed off at Barbara for planting a bee in the bathroom he could at least take comfort in the knowledge that her string of petty revenge was over, and that now he could relax.

After work he headed back to the penthouse where he found Barbara waiting for him in an evening gown. "About time you showed up", she said. Jim looked at her as he closed the door, "Going somewhere?" He asked. Barbara stared at him, "Yeah, and so are you", she answered.

Jim stared at her, "What?" He asked in confusion. "We're going to a dinner party tonight so go get dressed. You'll find a tux waiting for you on the bed", she said as she gestured her head towards the bedroom. Jim growled as he looked at her, not this again. They literally just went through this the week before, and now she was doing it again. "What have I told you about springing stuff on me at the last minute?" He asked angrily. Barbara glared at him, "I don't remember you saying much about it", she said.

Jim tossed his coat to the side, "Well I'm not going. Besides who's gonna watch Barbara Lee if I do go?" He asked. He figured the best way to get out of this would be to stay home with their daughter. Barbara folded her arms, "Don't worry about Barbara Lee, Selina's watching her at her place", she explained to him.

Jim sighed in frustration, "You know what? No, I'm still not going", he told her. Babysitter, or no babysitter he wasn't going out to some last minute dinner party. He was tired, and after the morning he had he deserved to relax. Barbara looked at him, "Yes you are Jim, and unlike last time you're not gonna humiliate me, or else this past week is gonna seem like nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you even think about causing any trouble", she told him. Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "Is that a threat?" He asked. Barbara returned his stare, "What do you think?" She asked. Jim sighed in defeat, there was no way he was winning this. She'd find some way to make him go so he may as well choose to go instead of her forcing him to. "Okay", he said.

Barbara clapped her hands in delight, "Excellent, now go put on the tux that I was telling you about", she said with a smile. Jim didn't say anything as he went to the bedroom. He emerged ten minutes later wearing the tux. Barbara grinned when she saw him while he frowned. "How long is this gonna take?" He asked as he referred to the dinner party. Barbara fixed his tie to make it look neater, "An hour tops. The only thing we have to do is show up, smile, and make small talk with a few people. After that we can leave", she told him.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Good", he said under his breath. Barbara glared at him, "Remember what I said earlier Jim", she reminded him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't humiliate you, or else this past week will feel like nothing compared to what you'll do to me if I cause trouble at this party. I get it, can we go now?" He asked in annoyance. Barbara nodded, "Yeah", she said. Jim grabbed his keys then they headed out the door.

* * *

The drive to the dinner party was a silent one as Jim drove. An hour, that's what he had to keep reminding himself of. It would just be one lousy hour of pretending to be the doting husband that he was not.

"Can we really leave after an hour?" He asked. He didn't want to be there only for her to make them stick around past the time limit. Barbara didn't look at him, "Yeah we stay an hour then we can leave. As I've already said before", she reminded him.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Great", he said under his breath. Barbara glared at him, "Be grateful I'm only making us stay an hour because I could make us stay for the whole thing, and we both know that you don't want that", she told him. Jim continued to stare at the road, "I don't want a lot of things", he whispered. "What was that?" She asked as she looked at him. "I didn't say anything", he said without looking back at her. Barbara narrowed her eyes at him but didn't say anything back, and instead went back to staring at the road.

There was silence in the car again as Jim continued to drive. "Damnit Jim,'' Barbara said after a while. "What?" He asked in confusion as he glanced at her real quickly before looking back at the road. "Your neck", she said. "What about it?" He asked. What could she possibly be complaining about his neck for? Barbara gestured to the spot on his neck where the bee had stung him earlier, "You couldn't cover up the scar?" She asked. Jim glanced at her real quickly before focusing his eyes on the road again, "Are you talking about my bee sting?" He asked. "Yes", Barbara answered.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Unbelievable", he said quietly. Here he was going to her stupid dinner party, that he didn't want to go to in the first place, and she was complaining about a spot on his neck. A spot that he only had because of her.

"You should've covered it up", she said. Jim glared at the road, "You didn't tell me to", he said as his hands gripped the steering wheel. Barbara looked at him, "If you're going to a fancy dinner party then the logical thing to do is cover up any visible scars. Like the one you have right now", she said. "It's one little scar Barbara, I doubt anybody is gonna care, or even noticed", he practically yelled. Barbara scoffed, "People are gonna notice Jim. It's impossible not to. Now that's gonna be the only thing that they're focused on. Everybody's gonna think you look foolish, and if you wanna look foolish go right ahead but I'm not gonna look foolish alongside you", she told him.

Jim twitched his eye as he listened to every word she said. "That's it", he growled in frustration as he pulled the car over near the docks then he got out of the car, and slammed the door. Barbara did the same before she hurried over to him.

"Jim, get back in the car right now", she told him. Jim didn't look at her as he walked away from the car, "No", he said as he looked at the river. Barbara stood behind him, "What do you mean, no?" She asked angrily. Jim whirled around to face her, "Exactly what I meant, no. I'm not getting back in the car, and I'm not going to that stupid dinner party that you wanna drag me to. So, if you wanna go then you're gonna have to find some other way", he told her.

Barbara growled, "Jim, a bunch of people are expecting me, and you to be there tonight. So, we have to go", she told him. Jim glared at her, "Well I guess it's gonna have to be you that shows because I'm not going", he said.

Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose, "Why are you being so difficult?" She asked. Jim looked taken back at her question, "I'm being difficult? You're the one being difficult. You were just complaining about a tiny sore on my neck after I agreed to go to the stupid party", he told her.

He walked away from her. "Where are you going?" She asked. "Home", he said without looking at her.

Barbara followed after him, "No, you're not. If we don't go to that party then we don't go home, simple", she told him. Jim looked at her, "Okay", he said nonchalantly as he walked towards the pier. Barbara once again followed after him.

Jim stood on the pier, and looked at the river again. "You really want to stand the whole night, out here, on the docks?" She asked. Jim continued to look at the river, "Yeah", he said without looking at her.

Barbara sighed, "Give me the keys, right now", she demanded as she held out one of her hands. She didn't have time to deal with his latest tantrum. If he wasn't gonna go to the party then she would just go without him. Jim looked at the keys that were in his hands, "You mean these keys?" He asked before he looked at her. Barbara nodded, "Yeah", he said. Jim looked at them again before looking back at her then without warning he threw them in the water.

Barbara looked at the river in horror as Jim took a step back, and smiled. "There, now if you want them then you're gonna have to get them", he said. Barbara looked at him in anger, "You son of bitch, now how are we supposed to get home?" She asked as she practically yelled at him. Jim smirked, "You can walk", he said as he slowly started walking backwards.

Barbara glared at him, "What's that supposed to mean? Where are you going?" She asked angrily as she watched him walk backwards. Jim continued to smirk at her then he took off running towards the car. Barbara hurried after him but before she could reach him he got in the car, and locked the door.

Barbara banged on the window, and attempted to open the door but she couldn't. She could only watch as Jim reached into the glove compartment, and pull out an extra set of keys. He smiled as he looked at them before he smiled at Barbara. She gave him a warning look as he jingled the keys in front of her then he started the engine, and drove away. Leaving her on the docks. He laughed as he looked at her in the rearview mirror.

* * *

After he left Barbara standing on the docks Jim went to Selina's flat to get Barbara Lee. When Selina had asked where Barbara was Jim came up with some story about how Barbara had stayed behind to talk to some people, and that she'd allowed him to go home. Selina, although skeptical, took his word for it, and allowed him to take his daughter then he headed back to the penthouse.

It was early evening when Barbara finally walked through the door. She wore a scowl on her face as she looked at Jim. He was on the couch playing with Barbara Lee. She saw that he'd changed out of his tux, and was now wearing something more comfortable.

Barbara closed the door. Jim looked at her, "Hi honey", he mocked before he went back to looking at their daughter. Barbara didn't say anything instead she walked to the bedroom. She was so full of rage at that moment that it'd taken everything in her not to lash out at him in front of Barbara Lee. Even though nobody could blame her if she did. Right after Jim had left her at the docks Barbara had to walk all the way to Selina's place, which wasn't easy considering the fact that she was wearing heels. Not to mention that it took her quite awhile to get there because again she was wearing heels. Once she got to Selina's the younger woman told her that Jim had already picked up their daughter, which only enraged Barbara even more because she had to trek all the way across town for no reason at all.

Thankfully Barbara didn't have to trek all the way back to the penthouse because Selina allowed her to use her car. Now Barbara could've gone straight to the dinner party except she was so angry that she decided it was best to just go back to the penthouse. Where seeing Jim only made her angrier.

Barbara looked around the bedroom until she found what she was looking for afterwards she headed back out into the living room where Jim was still playing with Barbara Lee. He looked at her, and noticed the tire iron in one of her hands. "Watch Barbara Lee", she told him before she headed towards the door.

Jim looked at her in curiosity then against his better judgement he followed her, with Barbara Lee in his arms. "Barbara, where are you going?" He asked as he continued to follow her. She didn't respond as he followed her out of the penthouse, and to the spot where he'd parked his car. A horrifying realization hit him when he realized what the tire iron was for, and before he could say anything Barbara took the tire iron then started hitting the side of his car. Jim could only watch, in horror, as she destroyed his car. He did what he could to cover Barbara Lee's ears as he made sure that she didn't see her mother destroy his vehicle.

Barbara glared at him when she was done, "That was for leaving me on the docks. So, now we're even, again", she said as she threw the tire iron on the ground. Jim could only look at his car, as he held Barbara Lee, while Barbara walked past him. She glared at him as she headed back into the penthouse.

Jim looked at the damaged side of his car for a bit. He didn't know what to say, or do in that moment. In fact he couldn't say, or do anything. He was pretty much in shock. Which was understanding considering the circumstances. A few minutes passed before Jim finally turned around, and walked back inside the building.

**A/N- Well Barbara got back at him, naturally. But at least Jim got to pull one over on her, again. Granted he had to pay for it later on but at least he's not taking stuff lying down but neither is Barbara. So, there's that. For what it's worth this chapter was kinda hard to write. It took me a while to find my footing on it but I found it, and I think I did an awesome job. In fact I know I did awesome. Anyways you can tell me what you think in the reviews, and thanks for reading.**


	8. Upper Hand

**A/N** - **Hey guys sorry it took me so long but here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Gotham.**

Chapter 8- Upper Hand

The next morning Barbara laid awake in bed next to Jim who was still asleep. As he slept Barbara stared at the ceiling, and thought back to the previous night's events. After she'd destroyed the side of his car she'd expected him to come back into the penthouse yelling, calling her every name in the book, and demanding that she pay to have the damages fixed. But none of that happened. Instead he'd quietly walked back into the penthouse with little Barb in his arms, and without looking at Barbara he headed to the nursery where he put their daughter to bed then he went straight to the bedroom. He wasn't mad, annoyed, or even sad. If anything he seemed broken. The way he was void of any emotion, how his eyes looked empty, and how he was so quiet. It was almost like he'd given up on life.

Now at first this had confused Barbara, after all it wasn't like Jim to be so passive. But then, as she thought about it, she figured that this was all a ploy to get her to let her guard down so that he could retaliate without her seeing it coming. After all it seemed like that's how things now worked between them. She would do something to him, they would argue, and then he would do something to her. It was turning into a game, and she was winning. So, if he did plan on retaliating then she would be ready, and if he wasn't then that would be even better. But she wasn't gonna sit around, and worry about it.

Barbara looked over at Jim as she turned on her side, and smirked when she saw that he was facing her direction. She shook her head in amusement, and figured that he must've turned over in his sleep because there was no way he would willing face her direction knowing that she would be the first thing he saw when he woke up. No way at all.

She plopped her elbow up, and rested her cheek on her hand as she continued to look at him while he slept. As she did so she began to think back to when they were just dating. She remembered how she would wake up, and if he were there then he would usually be holding her in his arms. If he was still asleep then she'd wait for him to wake up, and if he were already awake then he would usually greet her with a smile. He would tell her good morning before kissing her.

She smiled as she remembered how they would stay in each other's arms for a bit before they had to go to work but if neither had to be anywhere then they would sometimes spend the whole morning in each other's arms. Her mind flashed back to one morning in particular when it was the weekend. Jim had stayed over (which he did a lot before he'd officially moved in) so that they could spend the next day together. They'd planned to go to the park but that plan had changed when they'd both woken up, and saw that it was raining outside. So, instead of going out they'd decided to just spend the day in bed where they talked about their future, laughed at one another's corny jokes, and they had even just listened to the rain as it poured outside. Jim had cooked, or at least he attempted to since he wasn't a very good cook anyway but Barbara didn't care. She just appreciated the effort considering the fact that a lot of the guys that she'd dated before didn't even try as hard as Jim had to impress her nor did they care about her as much as he did. In fact she didn't think they cared about her at all because she never felt it. But she'd felt it with Jim just like she'd felt that he loved her. He didn't even need to say it because she could tell just from the way he looked at her. That morning proved it. In fact that entire day had proved it. Now a lot of people would think that a day like that would be boring. But it was anything but boring to Barbara. If anything it had been one of the best days of her life.

She continued to smile at the memory until she quickly shook her head. No, she couldn't think about that time, or any other time when they'd been together. Those memories were now ruined. Jim had ruined them by what he had tried to do.

Her smile was now replaced by a frown as she stared at him. Jim Gordon, noble, brave, hypocritical Jim Gordon. He thought he was so much better than everybody else but he wasn't. If anything he was far from it. He'd wanted full custody of their daughter because he thought that she was too dangerous. Barbara rolled her eyes at the thought. Yeah she was dangerous, she could admit that. But so was he, and she had the evidence to prove it. Yet he somehow deserved to have full custody, yeah right.

As she looked at him sleep she could feel her anger start to rise. She wanted to strangle him, for the almost custody battle, for just petitioning for it in general, and for everything else that he'd put her through. But she didn't, she couldn't, so instead she just watched as he slept.

Barbara stared at him for about an hour until she saw him start to move. He was waking up. A sly smile formed on her face as an idea popped into her head. She inched her face, closer to his as he continued to stir, then she waited.

A few seconds later Jim slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight that was pouring through the window before he fully opened them. That's when he saw Barbara's face near his. "Hi Jim", she said with a smile.

Jim yelled out as he quickly moved away from her which resulted in him almost falling off of the bed. Barbara laughed as he regained his composure. "Barbara", he said with a growl. It wasn't even noon, and she was already ruining his day.

Barbara stopped laughing, "Lighten up", she said with a smile. "Easier said than done", Jim grumbled as he glared at her. His mind then drifted back to the night before when she'd destroyed the side of his car. He couldn't help but growl again when he thought about the damage that she'd caused.

Barbara looked at him, "What's wrong Jim? Are you angry about something?" She asked. Jim glared at her, "I think you know the answer to that question", he said in a low voice. "Is this about the car?" She asked with a smirk. "Yeah", he said.

Barbara shrugged as she looked at the bed, "I know I may have gone a little overboard...", she started to say before she was interrupted. "That's an understatement", he snapped. Barbara ignored him, "But I'm sorry", she said as she looked at him. Which was a lie, she wasn't sorry about that, she wasn't sorry one bit. She just didn't want him lashing out later on. Namely because she didn't want to deal with it.

"Sure you are", he sarcastically said as he turned around. He could tell, by the tone in her voice, that she didn't mean it. Barbara watched as he headed towards the bathroom before she grabbed his arm, "Come back to bed", she told him. Jim looked at her in confusion, "Why?" He asked. "I thought maybe we could have some fun before you go to work", she said as she smiled at him.

A look of disgust crossed Jim's face when he realized what she was implying. "What? No way", he said as he jerked his arm out of her grasp. Barbara giggled, "But we had so much fun last time", she said.

Jim growled, "I told you that meant nothing", he said as he got in her face. Barbara stared at him, "Doesn't mean you didn't enjoy it", she taunted. Jim backed away from her, "I didn't enjoy anything about that night especially the part where I slept with you", he said. He tired not to shudder as his mind quickly flashed back to that night.

Barbara shrugged, "Well you don't have to admit it but if you ever wanna have some fun you know where to find me", she said with a smile. Jim once again looked at her in disgust, "Well you can forget about that because I won't be looking for you anytime soon", he said before he turned around. She then watched as he headed towards the bathroom.

Barbara didn't look at him, "You know Jim if you're saying that because you don't like me well that's not a problem because you don't have to like me to sleep with me", she called out. She heard him groan out in frustration before she heard him slam the bathroom door shut. She smiled to herself as she leaned back in the bed with her arms folded behind her head. There was his anger. For a second she thought that she'd broken him.

* * *

After Jim had showered he quickly got dressed then left the penthouse. There was no way he was gonna stick around so that Barbara could continue to antagonize him. He didn't have time for that.

He walked out of the building, and headed to his car. When he got to it he could feel his heart sink. It looked worse in the sunlight than it did in the dark. The entire passenger's side, except for the windows, was completely smashed. So, smashed that it looked like it had been hit by another car instead of a tire iron. There was some paint that had been scraped off, and one of the door handles was broken.

Jim could feel his blood boiling as he clenched his fist in anger. Every time he thinks that she's gone too far she goes, and does something else that makes him believe otherwise. It was like there was no end in sight.

As he glared at his car his mind flashed back to all of things that she'd done to him. The forced marriage, the having him followed, getting Lee to break things off with him, making him do things he didn't wanna do, and finding some way to make him pay if he didn't act accordingly. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fist harder. The more he thought about Barbara, and the things that she'd done to him the harder he clenched his fist.

He was so angry that he didn't feel his finger nails dig into his hands, and he didn't notice, or feel the inside of one of his fists start to bleed. Instead he continued to clench his fist, and glare at the smashed side of his car. This was gonna cost a fortune to fix, and he didn't have the money to fix it because he just had his car fixed not too long ago due to Barbara messing with the engine.

Jim sucked in a breath of air to calm himself down but it didn't work. He ran his fingers through his hair as he continued to clench his other fist. There was no way he could drive his car around like this. But he knew he had to. After all it was just the side of his car that was destroyed, not his engine, or his wheels. So, until he could get the damage repaired then, for possibly the next few months, he was gonna have to drive it as it was.

Jim finally unclenched his fist then walked around to the drivers side of the car. He got inside, and sighed before he started the engine. Which thankfully still worked. The last thing he needed was for that to have somehow been damaged again when Barbara was hitting his car with the tire iron. As the engine ran Jim stared at his steering wheel as he dreaded the looks that he probably gonna get from some of the other drivers, as they possibly wondered why he was driving a piece of junk. He sighed, and decided it was best not to think about it then he drove to work

* * *

"I'm telling you Harvey the woman is driving me up a wall", Jim said before he gulped down all of the whiskey that was in his small glass. It was the afternoon, and he was at the bar with Harvey where he told him about the night before. As like all the other times that he'd complained about Barbara, Harvey just listened, and gave his friend looks of pity. Like he was doing now.

Jim slammed his glass down on the counter then took a deep breath. Harvey looked at him, "At least your car still runs", he said as he tried to make him feel better. Jim ignored him, "Give me another", he said to the bartender. The bartender nodded before he refilled Jim's glass. Jim nodded his head in gratitude before he started gulping down whiskey. Harvey looked at him in shock, "Slow down there", he warned as he tried to stop him.

Jim finished his drink before Harvey could grab it from him. Like before he slammed the glass on the counter. "I don't know how much more I can take", Jim said as he looked at the counter in sadness.

Harvey gave him a sympathetic look. He looked down, and noticed that one of Jim's hands was wrapped in a bloody bandage. "What happened there?" Harvey asked as he gestured at the bandaged hand. "I don't know, I noticed that I was bleeding when I got to work. I-It must've happened this morning but I don't know how", Jim admitted as he looked at his hand. He really couldn't remember but he suspected that it'd happened when he was looking at his car. He couldn't believe it, he was now at the point where he was getting so angry that he would injure his hand, and not realize it.

Harvey looked at him in concern, "Man I don't what to say", he said quietly as he slowly shook his head. Jim didn't look at him, "I need to get out of this marriage", he said as he gripped his glass. He'd been putting it off for too long. After Lee had broken things off with him he'd put looking for a way out of his marriage to Barbara on the back burner. But now, after everything that has happened since, he has to get out. He has to find a way to free himself. One way, or another.

Harvey leaned against the counter, "You need to find that evidence man", he told him. Jim nodded his head in agreement. There was no way he was gonna find anything that connected Barbara to any of her past crimes. Not only that but it seems like she's been on her, "best", behavior since reunification, and hasn't committed any crimes. So, finding the evidence that proved he killed Odgen Baker was the best way to go.

"If only I knew where Barbara has it hidden", Jim said. Harvey stared at him, "Do you know where you could start looking?" He asked. Jim thought about it, Barbara would want to keep the evidence close so that she could get to it in case she needed it. But, at the same time, it would have to be somewhere where he wouldn't think to look. The Sirens was obvious, since that's where she presented it to him, and that would be the first place he would look. So, it wasn't there. He could rule out Selina's flat too since it was halfway across town, and therefore wasn't close enough to Barbara's liking. That left only one place. "It's got to be somewhere in the penthouse", Jim said quietly.

Harvey gave him a skeptical look, "You sure?" He asked. Jim slowly nodded his head. It was close, Barbara lived there, and it was the only other place where he would think that she would hide it. Now he just needed to know how to look for it without tipping her off. Jim stared at Harvey with a look of determination now on his face. "I need your help", Jim said. Harvey nodded at him, "Anything", he said. Jim looked at him, "I need you to help me distract Barbara", he said.

* * *

Barbara was in her office. She'd just gotten out of a meeting, and was about ready to head home when her phone ranged. "Hello", Barbara answered. "Barbara it's Selina, you need to get down to the Sirens, now", Selina said.

Barbara raised an eyebrow, "Why? What's wrong?" She asked. "There are cops here", Selina answered. That was all Barbara needed to hear. Cops being at the Sirens was not a good sign. "Stay there, I'm on my way", Barbara said before she hung up. She signed in frustration then headed out the door. As she did so she couldn't help but think that this whole thing had Jim written all over it.

* * *

At the Sirens Selina watched as the cops practically tore the place apart. She noticed Harvey standing in the middle of the floor. Selina glared at him, "Just what are you looking for?" She asked. Harvey looked over at her, "I'll explain everything when Barbara gets here", he told her.

Selina rolled her eyes in annoyance. A little while later Barbara showed up. "What's going on?" Barbara asked. Selina looked at her, "I was here minding my own business when Harvey showed up with a bunch of cops, and started searching the place. Nobody was telling me anything, and I couldn't stop them, or get them to leave. So, I called you", she explained.

Barbara looked at her, "Searching for what?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes. "Ask Harvey", Selina said as she gestured over at him. Barbara looked at him, "What's this about?" She asked. Harvey handed her a copy of the warrant that he had with him, "We have reason to believe that while Gotham was cut off from the mainland a bunch of murders took place here", he explained.

Barbara read the warrant before looking at him, "This is bogus, and you know it", she said. She wasn't worried about them finding anything because she was always careful about covering her tracks. She was just surprised that a judge would sign off on a warrant that allowed them to search her old club, considering the fact that they had no real reason to be looking for anything because there was nothing to look for. It made her wonder what Harvey must've said to convince a judge to sign off on this.

Harvey looked at her, "Nothing bogus about it. By the way we'll be searching your place next Selina", he said. Selina's eyes got wide, "What?" She asked in shock. Barbara glared at him, "On what grounds?" She asked. "That she might be hiding evidence for you", Harvey answered.

He handed Selina a copy of another warrant before walking away. Selina read it, "This is crap", she said in frustration when she finished reading. Barbara grabbed her by the shoulders, and made her look at her. "You don't have anything incriminating at your place do you?" Barbara asked in concern. Selina looked at her, "No but I still don't want them searching my apartment", she said.

Barbara took her hands off Selina's shoulders, "Don't worry about it, just let them search your place, and remember if they do find anything don't say a word about it. I'll get a lawyer for you, and they'll handle everything", she said. Selina didn't say anything she just frowned while she nodded her head in compliance. Barbara nodded her head back at her before they both watched as the cops searched the club.

Harvey walked around while the rest of the cops searched the place. Unlike them he knew that they wouldn't find anything. Any evidence of any murders, or crimes that had taken place there in the past was long gone because Barbara would've made sure not to leave anything linking her to any of her crimes lying around. So, any chance of them finding anything was slim to none. Although Harvey supposed that if they did find something on Barbara then that would be just as good because then she would definitely have to let Jim out of the marriage. He wouldn't need to find the evidence proving he killed Odgen Baker because then he would have something on Barbara. But if he did find the evidence that she had against him then finding something on her would be a bonus because she would have nothing on him while he would have something on her. The tables would be turned, and Jim would have the upper hand.

Harvey's eyes wandered around the club. After they were finished there they would head to Selina's next. That gave Jim more than enough time to search the penthouse. Harvey continued to look around, he wanted nothing more than for Jim to find what he was looking for so this whole thing could be over with.

* * *

At the penthouse Jim was looking for the evidence. It hadn't been easy convincing Stacy to leave because the young woman was adamant about staying until Barbara showed up. But Jim assured her that he would take the blame if Barbara got mad, and that she wouldn't get into any trouble. After much consideration Stacy had finally given in, and left. No sooner had she walked out the door Jim had started looking through the penthouse.

He searched all through the living room. Looking in the desk that was in there, going through the bookcase to see if she'd stashed the envelope in there, and he even looked underneath the cushions of the couch. Nothing, it wasn't there.

Jim sighed as he looked down before a light bulb went off in his head. He stared up, and looked in the direction of the air vent that was in the room. There, it had to be in there.

He went over to the counter, and grabbed one of the stools then he placed it underneath the air vent. It was in there, it just had to be. After all, an air vent was a good place to hide something because nobody would see it, or come across it by accident.

Jim attempted to wrestle open the vent with his hands but gave up when he realized that it was locked from the outside. So, he hopped off the stool then he quickly went to go find a screwdriver. He returned with one a few minutes later.

Not wanting to waste anymore time he got back on the stool, and unscrewed the screws from the vent. A smile formed on his face as he took it off. He poked his head inside, and looked around. However the smile that was on his face was quickly replaced with a frown when he saw that the air vent was empty.

Jim sighed in frustration as he pulled his head out. Angry, he threw the vent on the ground before he sucked in a breath of air. He for sure thought that it would be in there. He closed his eyes as he ran his fingers through his hair, and once he was calm he picked up the vent then screwed it back in place. Afterwards he looked around the living room one more time, just to make sure that he didn't miss anything, before he decided that the evidence wasn't in there.

The next place he checked was the bedroom but it wasn't in there either. He even checked the other air vent that was in there but it was empty. Just like the one in the living room.

A scowl appeared on Jim's face as he growled. "Damnit", he said in frustration. It wasn't in the living room, and it wasn't in the bedroom. Where was it? Jim thought about it; the nursery, it was probably in the nursery.

Jim ran out of the bedroom, and made his way to the nursery. He stopped in front of the door, and was careful as he quietly walked inside. It was important that he was quiet so that he didn't wake the baby up.

Without making a sound, Jim tiptoed across the room as he made his way towards the bookcase that held the story books that they usually read to Barbara Lee at night to get her to go to bed. He looked through it for a bit, even going through all of the books to make sure that Barbara hadn't hidden the envelope in one of them, only to realize that it wasn't in there. Annoyed, and frustrated he quietly slammed the book that he was holding back into place on the shelf before he turned around.

Jim walked away from the bookcase. He was about to walk out of the room but he headed over to Barbara Lee's crib instead. A small smile spread across his face as he looked at his daughter who was fast asleep. Jim stared at her for a bit as he smiled. If he could then he would take her, and run far away. Away from Gotham, away from Barbara, away from everything. He'd take her some place where he could make sure that she was safe. A place where she could grow up, and be happy. But he knew that Barbara would find them so finding that evidence, and getting out of that marriage was the next best thing. After that he could resume his plans of suing for full custody.

Jim gently stroked his daughter's head, and without word he backed away then he headed towards the door. He took one look at the crib before he walked out of the room. Once he was out in the hallway he headed to the guest room, and looked in there but he didn't find it. After that he looked in the kitchen. He practically tore it apart during his search but it wasn't in there either.

For the next hour Jim continued to look around the entire penthouse. He searched every corner, every cabinet, and every bathroom but each time he came up empty handed. It got to the point where he was searching in the same place more once. Well more than twice since he'd combed through the bedroom at least three times.

Finally, after he searched the living room for what felt like the hundredth time, Jim stopped looking. It wasn't there, and if it wasn't in the penthouse then he didn't know where it could be because there was no way it was at Sirens. Maybe it was at Selina's place, and she was just holding it for Barbara. But Jim doubted it. Barbara probably didn't trust that evidence with anybody but herself. She was just that type of person.

Jim stood in the middle of the living room, tired, angry, and confused. He shut his eyes. Think, he had to think because if it wasn't in the penthouse then it had to be somewhere else. But where else could she have hidden it? Her car? No, even though it seemed like a good hiding spot she wouldn't risk Jim possibly needing to drive her car only for him to accidentally stumble upon the envelope.

Maybe she destroyed it. No, she wouldn't do that. She needed it, and destroying it would destroy the only power that she had over him.

Could she have buried it somewhere? Maybe but highly unlikely, and if that were the case then there was no way Jim would find it because just like now he wouldn't know where to look. Plus, burying the evidence wasn't keeping it close. So, he ruled out that option.

After a while Jim stopped thinking. He couldn't figure it out. She'd won, and her prize was getting to make him miserable for the rest of his life.

Jim slowly opened his eyes. When they were fully opened he saw that he was staring directly at the counter. He looked at it for what felt like an eternity, and he didn't know why. It was like it was supposed to be important. But he just couldn't figure out what was so important about a stupid counter.

Jim's eyes widened as his mind clinked. The counter, it was in the counter, it had to be. He thought back to all the times when he'd seen Barbara near the counter which was almost always. Pretty much every morning he'd see her there, sometimes she'd be standing behind it. In the afternoon when she'd come home from work if she didn't check on Barbara Lee then she'd usually head right towards the counter, and at night she would almost always have a drink before bed.

It was all starting to come together now. The reason why she was usually near the counter was because she'd hidden the evidence there, and every time that she was behind the counter then she would probably check to make sure that it was still there. Almost like she didn't want to accidentally misplace it.

Jim hurried over to it, he didn't know why he didn't check there sooner but he wasn't gonna waste his energy worrying about it. He ran behind the counter, bent down, and in one swift movement he opened the cabinet doors. Inside he saw that there were a bunch of bottles, with different types of alcohol in them, crowding the entire cabinet. Jim removed each, and every one out of his way until he saw it. It was right there, in the very back; the evidence.

Jim didn't know why but his hands shook as he reached inside. A smile formed on his face as he carefully grabbed it. As soon he did he immediately stood up, and cheered. He'd done it, he'd found what he was looking for.

Jim studied the envelope in his hands. He wondered what was in it. It was obvious that it wasn't just a piece of paper. There was a small bulge, and that only intrigued him more as he wondered what it could possibly be.

The smile on Jim's face continued to grow, and he chuckled as he looked at the envelope. It was over, his nightmare was finally over, he now had the upper hand because now that he had the evidence Barbara could no longer blackmail him. He could divorce her, and finally get his daughter.

The sound of someone clapping their hands broke him from his thoughts. He turned around, and saw Barbara behind him. She had a smirk on her face as she stared at him.

Barbara continued to clap as Jim glared at her. "I see you found my hiding spot. Although I have to admit I'm surprised that you didn't stumble across it sooner. But then again that is why I hid it so far in the back. I didn't want you seeing it in case you wanted to have yourself a glass of wine, or something. By the way, nice job on getting Harvey to distract me by using some bogus warrant to check the Sirens, and Selina's place", she said as she stopped clapping.

Jim ignored her compliment, "It's over Barbara", he said. Barbara looked at him. Her eyes shifted to the envelope in his hands before she shifted them back to him. "What? You mean it's over because you found the evidence proving you killed Odgen Baker?" She asked. Jim nodded as he continued to glare at her, "Yeah", he said.

Barbara folded her arms, "Jim, I thought you knew me better than that", she said. Jim looked at her, "What are you talking about?" He asked in annoyance. Barbara smirked, "Do you wanna know what's in there?" She asked as she ignored his question. Jim glared at her, "It doesn't matter", he told her.

Barbara looked at him, "Actually it really doesn't but I'll tell you anyways. In there is a map showing where Odgen Baker's body is buried, pictures of you shooting him, and a cassette tape that has a recording of you telling Penguin that you killed Odgen Baker for him. In other words if that got into the DA's hands then he'd have a slam duck case against you", she explained to him.

Jim looked at the envelope, why was she telling him this? He looked back at her. "What are you getting at?" He asked. Barbara scoffed, "Don't you see Jim I don't care if you have it. Just like I don't care if you know what's in there. In fact you can destroy it for all I care", she said.

Jim stared at her as his face fell, "W-what?" He asked in shock. Barbara nodded, "Yeah because I have another copy with the exact same stuff inside", she told him. Jim's eyes widened, "Copy", he said in disbelief.

Barbara nodded again, "I have several actually. Each one hidden in a different place all over town, and for everyone that you find I'll just make another then hide that copy somewhere else", she explained. Jim looked at the envelope, "I can't believe this", he whispered.

Barbara chuckled, "Poor, naïve, Jim. You'd thought that you'd won, didn't you? You thought that you were ten steps ahead of me but it turns out that I'm the one that's ten steps ahead. Don't you see? You can't beat me", she said.

Jim looked at the counter, "Shut up", he said. He could feel his heart start to race as he gripped the counter with one of his hands. Barbara looked at him, "What's wrong Jim? Do you wanna throw another tantrum?" She asked as she mocked him. Jim growled as he grabbed one of the glasses then he threw it at her. Barbara quickly moved out of the way before the glass could hit her. "I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" He yelled. Barbara looked at him in shock, "You idiot, that could have hit me", she practically yelled.

"GOOD!" Jim yelled as he glared at her. He wanted her to know that he was serious, and that he wasn't playing around. Barbara growled, "YOU KNOW IF YOU WANNA BE ANGRY THEN OKAY BE ANGRY! BUT DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON ME!" She yelled back. "WELL THEN STOP PUSHING ME! ALL YOU DO IS PUSH ME!" He yelled. "I DON'T PUSH YOU JIM! YOU GET ANGRY WHENEVER THINGS GO SOUTH FOR YOU THEN YOU WANNA BLAME OTHER PEOPLE FOR IT HAPPENING WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE TO BLAME!" Barbara yelled. Jim looked at her, "You bitch, don't put this all on me", he said in a menacing tone.

Barbara shook her head, "Why? This whole thing is you're fault", she said an equal tone of voice. Jim ran over to her, "NO THIS WHOLE THING IS YOUR FAULT! I DIDN'T WANNA MARRY YOU BARBARA!" He yelled. "WELL TOO BAD JIM BECAUSE YOU DID!" Barbara yelled back. Jim let out a yell, "BUT I DON'T WANNA STAY MARRIED! I WANT OUT! I WANT OUT NOW!" He yelled. Barbara glared at him, "You want out? Okay", she said as she walked away from him.

Jim watched as she walked over to the bookcase, "What are you doing?" He asked. She ignored him as she pulled out some papers then she walked back over to the counter, and slammed them on the surface. Barbara started pacing back, and forth near the counter. "You want out so badly, well then sign them. If you don't want to be married to me any more, sign them. If you want to be a free man then sign them", she said as she tapped the papers.

Jim glared at her before he went to go take a look at the papers. He stared at them, and saw that they were documents that relinquishes a person's parental rights. Jim could feel his hands shake as he looked at them, "Y-you c-c-can't be serious. I-I'm not signing these", he said as he looked at her.

Barbara stared at him, "Why? You don't want to be married to me, and I don't want to be married to you. So, why don't you do us both a favor, and sign them. Sign them, so that we can both be happy", she said.

Jim shook his head, "I-I c-can't", he said as his voice shook. He could feel a lump form in his throat as he swallowed. "Yes you can Jim. Just sign them", Barbara said.

"No", he said as he whispered. "Yes", she said. "No, I can't give up my daughter", he said.

"Jim I don't want to be in this marriage anymore than you do, and you know the only way that I'll give you a divorce is if you sign those papers. Please, just sign them. I can tell that you're miserable everyday that you're with me, and you don't have to put yourself through that anymore. You can leave, and live your life. You just have to give up your parental rights. So, do it, sign them", she said.

Jim looked at her, "Please don't make me", he said. He was tempted to sign them but he couldn't do it. Even though he could leave the marriage, without Barbara going to the DA, he couldn't leave his baby girl.

"Jim, sign the stupid papers", Barbara practically yelled. She grabbed a nearby pen, and threw it on the papers. Jim looked at the pen before looking back at Barbara. "I can't", he repeated.

"Why not?" She asked in the same tone as before. Jim looked at her, and sniffed. "I can't leave my daughter. It would hurt me too much, and I know that if I leave then I'll be hurting her too. I can't do that to her. I can't hurt her like that. She's my daughter. I can't hurt her", he said as tears filled his eyes.

There was a long pause as neither said anything else. Jim just looked at Barbara with tears in his eyes. Meanwhile Barbara just looked back at him in anger.

Barbara glared at him, "I admire you Jim but at the same time I pity you", she said before she walked away. He watched as she headed into the bedroom. Once she shut the door he looked back at the papers with tears still in his eyes, and wondered exactly how much more he could really take.

**A/N- Yeah, that was another intense chapter. Anyways sorry that it took me so long to write this. I wanted it to come out great, and it did. However I'll make sure to get the next one out to you guys as soon as possible. So, what did you think of this chapter? How much more can Jim take? What do you think will happen next? You can tell me in the reviews, and thanks for reading.**


	9. A Bittersweet Moment

**Author's Note- Hey guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Gotham.**

Chapter 9- A Bittersweet Moment

Jim's eyes snapped open, and without hesitation he sat up straight in the bed. He listened closely as he sat in the darkness to what he thought had been his daughter crying. But he heard nothing.

Not wanting to be wrong, Jim quickly but carefully, so that he didn't wake up Barbara, got out of the bed then he walked out of the bedroom, and made his way to the nursery. He walked inside, and went towards the crib where he saw his daughter fast asleep. Her eyes were closed, and one of her fists was next to her mouth which was slightly open thus causing some drool to fall onto her clenched hand. He saw as her chest rose up, and down a little as soft snores escaped her nose. It was such a sweet, and innocent site.

Jim continued to stare at her for a bit as he took the site in. As he did he thought about everything that he'd been through earlier that day. His eyes narrowed, and he clenched both of his fists as he thought about it. He'd searched all through that stupid penthouse looking for something that he now knew was of no use to him.

Jim unclenched one of his fists before placing his hand on the railing. Even though he couldn't help it, add to the fact that nobody would blame him, he knew that there was no point in being angry over his situation because it wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't make Barbara give him a divorce without signing away his parental rights, it wouldn't make Lee come back to him, and it certainly wouldn't give him his daughter.

That's what he really wanted, his daughter. He knew that, despite already being in her life, seeing her everyday, helping to raise her, that it was important to remind himself it was only through blackmail that he was able to do these things. If it wasn't for that then he knew, he knew that he probably wouldn't ever see her. So, for that reason alone, he was a little grateful. But it was only for that reason.

Jim slowly turned around, and walked away. He left the nursery, and returned back to the bedroom where Barbara was still sleeping. As he made his way back to his side of the bed he stopped, only a few inches away, and glared at her. He didn't move, he didn't make a peep, and he didn't blink instead he just stared at her.

As he watched her sleep he thought back to their confrontation. The way she taunted him about the evidence being useless, their argument, and how he threw a glass at her. All these things flashed through his mind as he looked at her.

Without thinking he quickly reached into the drawer next to his side of the bed, and pulled out his gun. Using only one hand to hold the weapon, he quickly turned back around, stretched out his arm, and pointed it at Barbara. There was no hesitation whatsoever when he pointed his gun in her direction. He didn't care if she woke up, and he certainly didn't care if she saw him pointing his gun at her. In fact he didn't seem to care about anything at that moment.

Jim had his finger on the trigger. He was careful as he made sure not to squeeze it. Although he wasn't sure if that was out of habit, considering the fact that he usually had his finger on the trigger whenever he was going after a suspect, or if he didn't want to accidentally shoot her. In fact did he want to shoot her? Could he even bring himself to do it? Jim glared at her as he thought about it. With everything that she'd done to him (after only a few weeks) he wasn't exactly sure if he could, or not. He wasn't even sure if all of the things that she'd done to him warranted it. After a while he came to the conclusion that while it wasn't a definite yes it was still a maybe. So, maybe he could do it. He probably could shoot her.

Jim continued to glare at Barbara while she slept. She didn't know, she didn't know that somebody was pointing a gun at her while she was asleep. Without a doubt she was completely oblivious to the situation. Which was messed up in itself. The even more messed up part was that he could do it, and due to the idea that he had some knowledge in forensics then he could find a way to make it so that nobody would suspect him. So nobody would know, except him.

Nobody would know. Nobody would know what he did, if he were to do it that is, and he wouldn't tell anybody either. Not even Harvey because his friend didn't need to have that burden of keeping his secret.

Jim thought about what would happen if he were to shoot her: He would call the police, act frantic, and come up with some story about how somebody had broken in. The story would go somewhere along the lines of: They were both asleep. Jim woke up when he heard the sound of a gunshot. Before he could react he saw somebody run out of the bedroom, and when he looked over he saw that his wife had been shot. It wasn't the best story by no means, and there were plenty of holes in it. He'd have to work on it before the cops showed up. Get it to make sense. They would want to know who would just break in, and shoot Barbara. But that would be easy to answer. Barbara had a lot of enemies, and so did he. Anyone of those guys could have broken in, and made either one of them pay for some past wrong. So, he could explain that away so that they wouldn't suspect him. However, there was also the matter of evidence, and Jim knew that they'd test him for gunshot residue of which they would find. They would match it, and the bullet to his gun. There would be no explaining that away.

He supposed that he could get rid of his gun, he could say that somebody had stolen it. But he would need to get rid of it fast, and he would have to make sure that nobody found it. There was still the matter of them finding gunshot residue on him. But Jim knew that he could probably clean that off of him though he probably wouldn't do a good job of it thus causing him to get caught.

Jim quickly shook his head. What was he doing? Was he really thinking about wanting to kill the mother of his child? No matter what she was still Barbara Lee's mother. But at the same time she was the same woman who was causing him all sorts of emotional pain. Sure it was emotional but it was pain nonetheless. However she was still a human being so he couldn't just shoot her then again the people she had killed in the past were human beings too, and she killed them in cold blood. But that doesn't mean he should do the same thing to her. He was better than that, or was he? Jim felt his heart, like it had so many times in the past few weeks, start to race as the conflicting thoughts ran through his head. He couldn't do it. Yes he could. No he couldn't. She was an innocent person. No she wasn't. Yes she was. She hadn't done anything wrong. Well actually she had, in the past, and not just too long ago neither. Before Barbara Lee's birth, who knows what Barbara had done while Gotham was cut off from the mainland. But nothing had been proven though. It still didn't change the fact that she most likely committed crimes, knowing Barbara most of those probably included murder. But that still didn't give him the right to just kill her, and ever since the birth of their daughter Barbara has been working on trying to be a better person. At least that's how she presented it. Was she really trying to become a better person? Maybe, after all she was helping to rebuild Gotham. However, all that she'd done since she'd forced him to marry her was hurt him. Hurt, hurt, hurt that's all she'd done to him. But most of that was petty stuff. She'd never actually physically hurt him, or even attempted to kill him. So, he couldn't just kill her. There was no reason to, besides what would he tell Barbara Lee? If he killed her mother she would want to know why. So, what would he tell her? That he killed her mother because what? She made him angry? That was no excuse. But if he got away with it...No it still wouldn't work. He would have to face his daughter almost everyday knowing what he did, and he couldn't do it. He couldn't hold in a lie like that. But Barbara just made him so angry. All she'd done ever since they'd gotten married was make his blood boil. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to do something. But that something didn't have to be murder, did it? Jim stared at Barbara. He could be free, he just had to pull the trigger. That was it, and then he'd be free. But he could go jail then again maybe he wouldn't, it still didn't change the fact that he could. That didn't matter, or did it? Could he really hurt his daughter like that? Could he really just kill her mother? She would be better off then again maybe she wouldn't. What about Barbara? Would she really deserve it? No...Yes...No she wouldn't. Even after everything that she'd put him through? No but at the same time she was leaving him no choice. There was no other way to get out of this marriage. Well technically there was, he could just leave. But he couldn't, at least not without his daughter he couldn't, he couldn't just sign away his parental rights. He needed to be a dad, and to be a dad he would have to stay in this marriage. Unless he got rid of Barbara. But then he could go to jail, and he couldn't be a father if he was in jail. Plus, Barbara Lee would never forgive him. He supposed that he could try to make her understand but she probably wouldn't care what his reasonings were. She would never forgive him, and he may never forgive himself either. He supposed he could but he didn't see how. But he wouldn't know unless he pulled the trigger.

Jim felt his arm begin to shake as he stared at Barbara, and kept his gun pointed at her. With a frustrated sigh he dropped his arm. He couldn't do it, no matter how angry Barbara had made him he still couldn't do it. Not to himself, not to Barbara Lee, and not even to Barbara.

Jim put his gun back in the dresser drawer then he climbed back into the bed. A sick feeling came over as he covered himself up with the covers. He couldn't believe that he'd thought about killing Barbara. What was happening to him? The fact that he debated with himself over to pull the trigger, or not was sickening. He could feel bile rise in the back of his throat, he swallowed thinking the feeling would pass but it didn't. It was still there. Jim turned on his side, away from Barbara, and closed his eyes with the sick feeling still there.

A few hours later he woke up. He looked at the clock, and saw that he'd woken up an hour early. However, instead of going back to sleep Jim slowly got out of the bed, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Not too long after he got dressed then he left the penthouse. Making sure not to wake Barbara in the process.

* * *

Jai Jenkins, divorce lawyer, was known to be a quiet man. Outside of work he didn't really make a sound, or even a peep. If asked a question he would usually give a short, simple, answer before allowing others to carry on the conversation. He wasn't one to cause trouble either which was a good thing because he didn't look like much of a fighter. In fact at first glance you wouldn't think much of him. But that would all change once he got into a courtroom. In there Jai was in his element.

Outside of a courtroom Jai was a mouse but inside a courtroom he was a shark. He could have a case where the odds were stacked against one parent but turn it around, and make the other parent look like a monster. It didn't matter how bad his client may have been as a person it didn't stop him from getting them what they wanted; which was visitation, joint custody, and yes even full custody.

No case was too difficult for him; that was until Barbara Kean had requested his help in getting full custody of her daughter. Now the case where the odds were stacked against the parents weren't easy to win. The parents were usually ex-cons, addicts, or both but Jai would be able to convince the court that the parent in question deserved to be in their child's life. The worst thing a client of his had ever done: had been a father who'd kill a man in self defense, and Jai had gotten him visitation which he'd later managed to bump up to joint custody. But Barbara Kean was a different story. The woman had murdered both of her parents in cold blood, had broken out of Arkham, and caused a whole slew of problems around the city before being sent back to Arkham. Any lawyer wouldn't have taken the case but Jai was always up for a challenge so unlike most other lawyers he took it. But he knew it wouldn't be easy, and given Barbara's history he'd been worried that if he didn't get her the outcome that she desired then he would be next on her list of victims. So, when he'd heard that Ms. Kean had married her baby's father Jai had thought that he could put any worries of her coming after him, if he didn't win her case, to rest. Which he'd done. That was until he'd gotten a phone call from her late the other night setting up this meeting.

"I must say Ms. Kean, or is it Mrs. Gordon now?" Jai asked as he stared at her. It was the afternoon, and he was at the Sirens with Barbara along with her friend Selina Kyle. Barbara's daughter Barbara Lee was there too, sleeping in her stroller. "Ms. Kean, that's what I'll be going back to soon anyways", Barbara answered as she looked at him.

Jai nodded as he looked at the papers that were on the table before looking back at Barbara. "Well I must say that when I'd heard that you'd gotten married to Commissioner Gordon that the last meeting that we had would've been the last time that I saw you", Jai said to her. Barbara looked at him, "Yeah, well I'll be filing for divorce soon, and the custody battle will most likely be back on. So, what I want to know is if my chances of getting full custody are any better", she responded.

Jai looked at her, "Well they're much better than they were when we last talked. The fact that Commissioner Gordon married you shows that he must not think that you're too dangerous to be around. So, that hurts his argument that he fears for your daughter's safety when it comes to her being around you, and the fact that you're leaving him shows that he's the problem not you. But…", he said before he paused. Barbara looked at him, "But what?" She asked in annoyance. She didn't like how he paused the way he did. "But that still might not be enough for full custody. You still killed your parents, and that's what he along with his lawyer are gonna focus on", Jai explained.

Barbara rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe this, even though Arkham had pretty much deemed her a safe person to be around, a judge could still rule in Jim's favor. Which is what Jim was banking on. He was most likely gonna argue that since she killed her parents then there was a good possibility that she could harm their daughter.

Barbara looked at him, "You said that I had a better chance, what exactly does that mean?" She asked. You could hear the frustration in her voice as she tried to get the answers that she needed. Jai looked at her, "Well what I meant was that we can try for joint custody…", he began before he was cut off. "No", Barbara practically yelled in anger. She was not sharing custody with Jim.

The tone of her voice startled her daughter who'd begun to cry. Selina quickly picked her up, and began rocking her in her arms to settle her down. It didn't take long for the baby to relax. Selina smiled at Barbara Lee, and continued to hold her in her arms before she looked at the other two adults in the room. "Continue", Selina said.

Jai looked at her, "Joint custody is probably what you're gonna get. Full custody is gonna be harder to argue for given the reason I already stated. In any other case a judge would usually rule in the mother's favor but this isn't any other case. Now I can tell the judge that you're a good mother, you haven't been in any trouble with the law since you've been out of Arkham, and that you're more than capable of providing a good life for your daughter. But that's only going to get you joint custody", he said.

Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed in frustration, "I'm not sharing my daughter with Jim", she told him. Jai looked at her, "Miss Kean…", he began but he was cut off. "I can't do it, okay? Now I hired you because you're one of the best. So, you need to do whatever you can to make sure I get to keep my daughter. I don't care how you do it just do it", Barbara said as she looked at him.

Jai sighed as he rubbed his eyes, "I'll do what I can. But I'm telling you right now that it's either gonna be joint custody with Commissioner Gordon, or full custody for him. Unless... unless you have something on him that I can use", he said as he looked at her.

Almost immediately Selina looked at him when she heard his statement. "She does", Selina quickly said before anybody else could say anything. Jai raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he looked in Barbara's direction. Barbara nodded her head in confirmation, "I have something that would be useful, and that could possibly get me full custody", she said as she looked at him.

Jai folded his hands together, "As your lawyer may I ask what this, "something", is?" He asked with a small smile. "Let's just say it's something that could get Jim into a lot of trouble", Barbara said. Selina rolled her eyes in annoyance before looking back at Barbara Lee. She hated that Barbara was being so vague.

"Are you willing to use this in court?" Jai asked. Barbara thought about it some, "No", she said after a while. Selina scoffed in annoyance as she rocked Barbara Lee in her arms.

Both Barbara, and Jai ignored Selina as they carried on their conversation. "Ms. Kean I have to know this isn't something that could get you into any trouble, is it?" Jai asked with concern. Barbara shook her head, "No", she said again. "Well is there anything else that you can use? Anything that would cast doubt on Commissioner Gordon's character?" Jai asked. Barbara thought about it again as she looked down, "He has a bad temper", she finally said as she looked at him.

"Such as…", Jai said as he raised an eyebrow. "He yells, we fight, sometimes he gets carried away, and he throws a glass", Barbara told him. Jai looked at her, "How many times has this happened?" He asked. Barbara thought back to her arguments with Jim. "Twice", Barbara answered. "Were any of those times at you?" Jai asked. Barbara nodded, "The first time was at the wall, the last time was at me, and that happened last night", she said.

"Tell me, do you think that Commissioner Gordon would hurt your daughter?" Jai asked as he slightly leaned forward. He finally felt like they were getting somewhere. That this was something that he could use in court against the commissioner. Barbara shook her head, "No, I don't think he would", she told him softly. No matter how angry Jim got she didn't believe that he would ever harm their daughter.

"Well this new information certainly helps, and Commissioner Gordon having a temper alone is something that I can use to our advantage. But if you truly want to guarantee us a win then I suggest that whatever you have against him you use, or else chances of the judge ruling in your favor will still be pretty slim", Jai said as he put some papers in his briefcase.

"She'll think about it", Selina said as she looked at him. Barbara gave her a look before she went back to looking at Jai. "I don't think I'll need to use it", Barbara said. Jai closed his briefcase, "Okay but you should think about it like Miss Kyle here suggested", he advised.

"You said Jim just having a temper alone helps my chances. So, focus on that", Barbara ordered. Jai looked at her as he stood up, "I will but it still won't be an easy fight", he told her.

"I don't expect it to be", Barbara said. Jai nodded his head in agreement, "Well, good day ladies", he said then he headed towards the door. Barbara watched as he was about to leave then he stopped, and tapped his chin. It seemed like he was in deep thought about something.

"What is it?" Barbara asked. Jai didn't look at her, "I was thinking, if Commissioner Gordon would just sign away his parental rights then we wouldn't have to go to court. It's a shame that he won't do that, it'd make my job a whole lot easier", he said. Jai once again tapped his chin in thought before he shrugged his shoulders. He gave both Barbara, and Selina a nod before he finally left the club.

Once he was gone Barbara stood up, and walked over to the counter. Selina put a now sleeping Barbara Lee back in her stroller then followed after Barbara. "So, you're really getting a divorce?" Selina asked once she reached the counter. Barbara nodded, "Yeah, it's not working out. We don't get along, and it's almost gotten to the point where mostly we fight. Neither of us wants to be married, and I only married him to keep my daughter. The same goes for him. So, I figure it's best to end it now before it gets to ugly. I don't wanna be in a situation where I'm fighting with someone daily, and I don't want Barbara Lee growing up around that either", she explained before she poured herself a drink.

Selina nodded in understanding, "Are you worried about going to court?" She asked as she looked at her. Barbara threw back the drink, "I'm not going to court", she answered as she set down the glass. Selina raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, "You're not?" She asked with skepticism. Barbara shook her head, "No", she answered as she looked at the counter. After what Jai told her about the possibility of either joint custody with Jim, or just Jim getting full custody in general; Barbara had realized it wasn't something that she wanted to risk. So, she was gonna keep her daughter another way.

"So, you're going to the DA with what you have on Jim?" Selina asked with a hint of excitement in her voice. Barbara looked at her, "No", she repeated as she shook her head. "I don't understand then", Selina said.

"I'm getting a divorce, and Jim is gonna sign away his parental rights", Barbara told her. "So, you're telling me that Jim is just gonna sign away his rights? No questions asked?" Selina asked as she watched the older woman walk to the other end of the counter. Barbara looked at her, "It won't be that simple; but yeah", she said.

"How?" Selina asked. "I'm gonna make him. Selina, Jim doesn't want to be married to me anymore than I want to be married to him. He pretty much said so the other night. Jim is at his wits end, and it's starting to show. He wants his freedom so I'm gonna give him what he wants so long as he gives me what I want ", Barbara explained.

"That still doesn't explain how you're gonna make him sign over his rights", Selina said. Barbara looked at the counter again before looking back at the thief, "Like I said; Jim's at his wits end. He can't take it anymore, and he'll do just about anything to break away from me. So, I'm gonna go after him, I'm gonna go after him hard, and I'm gonna keep going after him until he signs the papers relinquishing his parental rights", she said.

"But I thought that you've been doing that, haven't you?" Selina asked. Based on what Barbara had been telling her since she'd married Jim, Selina had thought that the older woman was already going after Jim, hard. Barbara shook her head, "That stuff has just been to annoy him. I haven't really been trying to make him sign away his rights", she said.

"What are you gonna do then?" Selina asked. She was still unsure of what, "Going after him", really meant. Barbara glared at her, "I'm gonna go over his head", she told her.

* * *

Jim, Harvey, and a bunch of other cops were on the docks at the edge of the pier. They'd gotten a call about some fishermen fishing in the river but instead of catching fish they instead had fished the body of a man out of the water. Jim walked over the body that now had a white sheet covering it up, and stared. It didn't take a genius to figure out why a body had been at the bottom of the river. This was Gotham after all.

Harvey walked over to the other side of the body then he kneeled down, and stared. A coroner removed the white sheet; revealing a man underneath. His eyes were still open, making him look like he was in shock, and his face was pale.

Jim continued to look at the man as Harvey gasped in shock. "I know this guy", Harvey exclaimed. Jim shifted his gaze at him, "You do?" He asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice. Harvey looked up at him, "Well not personally but I've seen him around. He's one of Penguin's guys", he explained.

"Oswald?" Jim asked. Harvey nodded, "Yeah, I think this guy was one of his enforcers, or bodyguards. I'm not sure but he definitely worked for him", he said.

Jim looked at the body, "You're sure?" He asked. Harvey didn't look at him, "Yeah", he said as he nodded his head. "I wonder why Oswald would kill one of his own guys", Jim said although there wasn't much to wonder about. Penguin would kill anybody that pissed him off, even one of his own guys. Jim just suspected that the dead man was probably just another casualty of one of Penguin's latest temper tantrums. That, or Penguin was shooting at someone else, and the guy got in the way.

"I have no idea. You wanna ask him?" Harvey asked as he shifted his gaze towards him. Jim didn't look at him, "No, send Alvarez, or Harper to do it", he said although he knew that they probably wouldn't get much. Penguin wouldn't talk, and nobody would say anything unless they wanted to die. So, this case would most likely go cold, just like a lot of other cases in Gotham.

Jim stared at the body for a bit before he turned, and walked away from the scene. Harvey ran after him, "Hey, I've been meaning to ask; how did it go last night? Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked when he'd caught up with him. Jim looked at him with a grim expression, "I did", he said.

Harvey smiled, "Man, that's great. So when are you gonna divorce Barbara?" He asked in excitement as he slapped his shoulder. Jim sighed, "Harvey…", he said but he was interrupted by the other man. "No wait; first tell me, what was her reaction when you'd confronted her, or did you confront her? You know what? Forget about that stuff. You're free, man", he said.

"Harvey", Jim snapped. Harvey frowned, "What?" He asked in confusion. "I'm not a free man", Jim stated.

Harvey looked at him, "What happened?" He asked in concern. Jim sighed then he told him about what had happened. He told him about how he'd found the evidence but when he confronted Barbara with it she'd told him that she had multiple copies hidden around town. "She won man,'' Jim said with a look on his face.

Harvey slapped his shoulder again, "No she didn't man. We'll find another way", he said. Jim shrugged off his hand, "No we won't", he said. "Yes we will...", Harvey said before he was interrupted. "No we won't, okay? It's over", Jim said angrily before he turned around. Harvey looked at him, "So, what are you gonna do?" He asked. Jim didn't look at him, "I don't know", he answered truthfully. He supposed that he could just wait for Barbara to slip up, and do something wrong but he wasn't sure if that moment would ever happen.

"We could look for the other copies. It would take time but I'm sure we could round them all up without her knowing", Harvey suggested. "It won't work. She probably checks to make sure they're all where they're supposed to be. If she finds even one missing she'll know that it was me, and she'll just make another copy", Jim said then walked away.

Harvey followed him, "How do you even know that she was telling the truth about her making copies? I mean this is Barbara, she's not known for being 100% truthful", he said when he caught up to him. Jim looked at him, "Maybe, maybe not. We don't know, and I don't wanna risk it", he told him. Knowing Barbara there most likely was multiple copies hidden around town.

"You can't give up man", Harvey said with concern. "Well I don't know what else to do", Jim said. "Like I said we'll think of something", Harvey said. "Well you can think of something because I'm done thinking", Jim said as he turned around then he walked away again.

* * *

A few hours later Jim, and Harvey were at the precinct when Alvarez came in with Harper following behind him. Jim looked at them, "So, what did Oswald say?" He asked. Alvarez frowned, "We showed him a picture of the guy, and he said that he didn't know him", he said.

Harvey rolled his eyes, "Yeah right", he muttered. "I'm gonna take a wild guess, and say that none of Oswald's other guys knew him either", Jim said. Harper looked at him, "Yeah, we interviewed some of his guys that were hanging around but like you said, they all said that they didn't know him", she said. "Well this case just went cold", Harvey said.

"Do you think this might be connected to what's going on?" Alvarez asked. Jim looked at a desk, "I don't know, it might", he said. Over the last few weeks there had problems in the underworld involving territories between the families. There were numerous shoot outs all over town, and most of them involved Penguin, and a guy named Tony Zucco who was new to the scene. Penguin, and Tony had been at each other's throats since reunification. Apparently Tony didn't get the memo that Gotham belonged to Penguin because he started setting up shop in some of Penguins territories thus upsetting Penguin.

"So, do you think somebody else may have killed him? You know as a way to send a message to Penguin?" Harper asked. "Nah this has Penguin written all over it", Harvey said. "Yeah but if you remember last week one of Oswald's warehouses got blown up, remember? We suspected that it was Zucco, and that was his way of sending a message to Oswald", Jim said.

"So, what Tony, or whoever blows up one of Penguin's warehouses, and later kills this guy?" Harvey asked. "Maybe", Jim answered. "Well I think it was Penguin. With everything going on he may be getting frustrated, and he must've taken it out on the dead guy", Harvey suggested.

Jim shrugged as he thought about it. It made sense but they still didn't know for sure. Harper looked at them, "It looks like things are starting to heat up", she said. Everybody nodded their heads in agreement. They all knew that things would continue to get ugly unless something was done.

"We need to get a handle on this before somebody innocent gets hurt", Jim said. "So, we're going after Penguin?" Harvey asked. Jim nodded as he thought about it, "Yeah, him, and Tony", he said.

Harvey pumped his fist, "Yes; I can't wait to get my hands on that little twerp", he said. For the first time that day Jim chuckled as he shook his head in amusement. "So, how are we gonna go about this?" Alvarez asked. Harvey looked at him, "I might have an idea", he said.

Jim looked at him, "What?" He asked with a straight face. "We get somebody on the inside. They gather evidence against Penguin. Boom we got him", Harvey explained. "I don't think it'll be that easy", Jim said. "Yeah, and what about Tony?" Alvarez asked. Harvey looked at him, "Who?" He asked. He'd gotten so excited about taking down Penguin that he'd forgotten that they were going after Tony too.

"Tony, Tony Zucco, we're going after him too", Alvarez clarified. Harvey nodded, "Yeah, well one mobster at time okay? First we nail Penguin then we go after...who again?" He asked. "Tony Zucco", Alvarez said. Harvey snapped his fingers, "Right", he said. "Harvey makes a good point. First we nail Penguin then we'll worry about Zucco. I don't wanna put too much on our plate at one time", Jim said.

Harvey looked at him, "So, are we going with my plan?" He asked with a smile. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he said. It's a good plan, and Jim thought it could possibly work. No reason why they couldn't try it.

Harvey pumped his fist again, "Yes", he said. They were going after Penguin. Harvey couldn't wait to arrest him, and he couldn't wait to see the look on Penguin's face when they did so. He definitely couldn't wait to see Penguin's face when he gets sent to Blackgate either.

At that moment two people, a man, and woman walked into the precinct. They looked over at the group. Jim looked at them, "Who are they?" He asked. Harper looked over at the two people, "I don't know but I'll go figure it out", she said as she walked over to the two strangers.

A minute later Harper walked back over. "They're here to see you Harvey", Harper told him. Harvey looked at her in confusion, "Me, why?" He asked. Harper shrugged, "I don't know, they just said that they needed to talk to Captain Bullock", she said.

Harvey sighed in frustration as he threw up his arms before he walked away while muttering something about politics. Jim looked over at the three, and he got a bad feeling when he saw the two people that had walked into the precinct lead Harvey into his office. He didn't know why but something didn't feel right.

* * *

Later that afternoon Jim, and Harvey were at the bar having drinks. Harvey was unusually quiet which bothered Jim. After what felt like hours of them just sitting there, and drinking Jim finally decided to say something. "So, are you gonna tell me what that was about back at the precinct?" Jim asked. Harvey looked at him, "What?...That?...That was nothing. Hey, I wanted to talk to you about how we're gonna infiltrate Penguin's organization…", he started to say before he was interrupted. "Harvey, what happened?" Jim asked. Harvey frowned, "It was nothing", he said.

Based on Harvey's tone Jim knew that he was lying. He could tell that something had happened. Jim narrowed his eyes, "Just tell me what happened; what did those people want?" He asked. Harvey sighed as he looked at the counter, "They were from IAB; I'm being investigated", he told him as a sad look appeared on his face.

Jim glared at him, "Investigated, for what?" He asked. Harvey still didn't look at him as he sighed again, "Apparently they've gotten a tip on me about some stuff that has to do with my past. Way before I met you. This has to do with the early days of my career back when I was...You know...I guess you could say dirty. Anyways they're now investigating me, and if they see fit then I'll lose my rank of captain", he explained. Jim looked at him, "They can't do that", he said. Harvey looked at the counter, "Yes, they can, and Jim we both know that'll find something. I guarantee it, and when they do they may not just take away my rank they'll probably take away my job", he said.

Jim stared at him in shock for a long time as he tried to figure out what to say. But he couldn't find the right words. "Let me see what I can do. I might be able to pull some strings to get them to back off", he said. He was the commissioner after all, and if anybody could get IAB to back off then it was him.

Harvey shook his head as he held up one of his hands, "Jim, it's useless", he said. "No, it's not. You don't deserve this", Jim said. "Jim, we both know I'm not innocent. You know as well as anybody that I wasn't on the up, and up when we first met", Harvey said.

"Yeah but you were a different person then, and you've changed", Jim said. "Well IAB doesn't care about that", Harvey said. Jim sighed in defeat, "How did they even think to start investigating you?" He asked. The GCPD had been full of corruption, and for years nobody did anything about it. Jim just found it weird that all of a sudden now IAB was worried about dirty cops. "Like I said somebody called in a tip, and it must've been somebody with a lot of leeway but I can't figure out who", Harvey said.

"But who…", Jim started to say before he got a look on his face. Harvey looked at him, "What?" He asked. "I gotta go", Jim said suddenly as he stood up. Harvey watched him as he hurried towards the door. "Jim", Harvey called out but he was ignored.

* * *

An hour, and a half later Jim arrived at the penthouse. "Barbara", he called out in anger as he walked in the door. He slammed it as soon as he got inside. Barbara was in the living room, "What?" She asked as she turned to look at him. Jim got in her face, "You got sick of picking on me so you go after Harvey?" He asked angrily. "Harvey…", Barbara started to say before she was interrupted. "Harvey's being investigated by IAB", Jim clarified.

A knowing look appeared on Barbara's face as she smirked. "Harvey's being investigated; for what?" She asked as she pretended to play dumb. Jim glared at her, "I think you know", he said in a low voice.

Barbara smirked, "I really don't know what you mean", she said but that was a lie. Jim growled, "Somebody called in a tip, somebody with a lot of connections, and that somebody is you", he said angrily. It didn't take him much effort to figure out that it was Barbara who called in the tip. She had connections, and it was possible that she could use them to get Harvey investigated.

The smirk on Barbara's face widened as she looked at him. "Well somebody had to alert the higher ups that there was a corrupt cop in their mists", she said. "You bitch, Harvey's career is the line now. He could lose his job", Jim said.

Barbara got right back in his face, "Well I think I know how you can fix that Jim, and all it'll take is you signing a few papers", she said. Jim's eyes widened, "Are you serious?" He asked in a quiet voice. "What do you think?" She asked right back. Jim's eyes shifted to the floor as he started breathing heavily, "You really did do this because of me", he whispered to himself. Jim knew that it was her, who'd called in the tip but he'd thought maybe, just maybe he'd been wrong. That Harvey being investigated didn't have anything to do with him.

"Yeah, I did", Barbara whispered back in his ear. Jim looked at her, "You didn't have to go after him, you could have kept this between us, you didn't have to involve him", he said as he continued to whisper. Barbara gave him a cruel smile, "But I did Jim, and if you want to fix it then like I said all you have to do is sign the papers. If you do that then all I have to do is pick up the phone, make a call, and the investigation will just stop", she said.

Jim groaned in frustration as he ran his fingers through his hair, and he turned away from her. He couldn't believe this; his best friend could lose everything because of him. Jim whirled back around, "You need to leave him out of this", he said.

Barbara looked at him, "Just sign the papers Jim", she said. Jim held both of his hands behind his head while he continued to breathe heavily. He wanted to strangle her but he couldn't, it was wrong, and she was Barbara Lee's mother. But she was going after his friend, he couldn't allow that.

He looked at Barbara, and she smirked at him. She didn't care, she didn't care that she was going to ruin a man's career. A man who'd worked hard to change but she didn't care about that. She just wanted to hurt him.

Jim growled in anger as he hurried over to her. He was about to reach for his gun but he stopped, and instead he turned back around then he walked out of the penthouse. Barbara watched him go.

* * *

It was evening when Harvey hurried into the GCPD, he looked around until he saw Harper. He walked over to her. "Where is he?" He asked. Harper gestured over to the holding cells, "Over there", she said. Harvey hurried to him.

He looked in, and he saw Jim sitting on a bench. He was hunched over with his face in his hands. Harvey looked at him in concern, "Who put you in there?" He asked softly. Jim didn't say anything. Harper came over, "He put himself in there. He came in, upset, he wouldn't tell anybody what was wrong. Instead he just locked himself in there. We didn't know what to do so we called you. We think maybe you can figure out what's wrong because we can't", she said.

Harper walked away leaving Harvey alone with Jim. "Come on partner, you can't stay in there", Harvey said. "That's what we told him", Harper said as she walked past them.

Harvey ignored her, "Come on man", he said. Jim lifted his head up, "I can't, I have to stay in here because if I leave I know I'll hurt her", he said with tears in the corner of his eyes. Harvey looked at him, "Who?" He asked. "Barbara, if I go home I know that'll hurt her, and I don't want to do that. That's why I locked myself in here, I don't trust myself not to do something that I know that I'll regret later on", Jim whispered.

A looked of sympathy appeared on Harvey's face as he stared between the bars at his buddy. He went to go grab the keys from another officer then he went to open the cell. Harvey opened the cell, "Come on", he said for what felt like the hundredth time as he gestured to the outside.

Jim walked out of the cell with a distraught look on his face. The tears that were in the corner of his eyes were gone but he was quiet. Almost like he was in a state of shock.

Harvey put his hand on his back as he led him away from the cell. "I'm not going home", Jim said quietly. "You're not, just come on", Harvey said in concern as he led him out of the precinct.

After they walked out of the precinct Harvey drove Jim back to his apartment, and for the next few hours Jim quietly sat on Harvey's couch with his face in his hands. After a while Harvey decided to speak. "Jim, what happened?" Harvey asked. He knew that Barbara must've done something to make Jim upset, she usually did. Jim looked at him, "I-It's my fault", he said quietly.

"What is?" Harvey asked. Jim looked at him, and told him everything. "If I don't sign over my parental rights then the investigation will continue, and you could possibly lose your job", Jim said in the same tone as before.

Harvey gave him a sad look, "Jim…", he started to say but he was interrupted. "Harvey I'm sorry but I can't do it. I can't give up my daughter. But I don't want you to lose everything that you've worked so hard for. You don't deserve that, you don't deserve that at all", Jim said as his voice cracked.

Harvey kneeled down to his level, "Hey, look partner, don't worry about that. None of this is your fault, okay?" He asked. Jim shook his head, "It is though, she's only going after you because of me", he said.

"No, she's going after me because she's a control freak, and she wants to win. So, she's playing dirty to do just that", Harvey said. Jim sniffed before he placed his face back in his hands. Harvey put his hand on his back as Jim once again just sat there. "I'm so sorry Harvey", Jim whispered after a while as he lifted his head up. Harvey looked at him, "Don't worry about it, partner. No matter what I'll be ok, trust me", he said. Jim didn't say anything instead he just nodded his head then he put his head down in despair.

* * *

Jim returned home later that evening. He walked through the door where he saw Barbara's sitting on the couch, waiting for him. "Where have you been?" She asked angrily as she stood up. Jim glared at her, "I don't have anything to say to you", he said.

He tried to walk past her but she grabbed his arm before he could. He sucked in a breath of air when he felt her arm. "Jim", she said in a warning tone. Jim didn't look at her, "Barbara, let go of my arm, right, now", he said. He was surprised by how calm his voice sounded. It was angry but calm.

Barbara scoffed as she looked at him, "What're you gonna do if I don't?" She asked. Jim quickly turned around, "Don't push me", he warned as he yanked his arm away. Barbara scoffed again as she watched him walk away from her, "I'm not sorry about Harvey. You started this so now I'm gonna finish it", she stated.

Jim stopped then turned around to face her, "I would never have gone after Selina like you went after Harvey", he angrily said as he walked back over to her. Barbara got right in his face, "No, you just went after my daughter", she said. Jim growled, "She's my daughter too, rather you like it, or not, and I have a right to protect her", he said.

"From who? From me?" Barbara asked even though she knew the answer. "From anybody who might hurt her", Jim said. Barbara let out a sarcastic laugh, "Protect her? Right, like you do so good at protecting the people that you care about", she said.

Jim glared at her, "What do you mean?" He asked. Barbara pointed at herself, "You didn't protect me, you say that you can protect our daughter but you couldn't even protect her mother", she said. "I did protect you", he said in anger. There was no way he was letting her pin anything on him.

"YOU DIDN'T PROTECT ME! YOU ALLOWED ME TO BE KIDNAPPED BY THAT MONSTER!" Barbara shouted as she clenched her fist in anger while she continued at point at herself. Jim growled, "YOU CHOSE TO GO TO CARMINE TO BEG FOR MY LIFE! IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT HE HAD ZSASZ POINT A GUN TO YOUR HEAD!" He shouted back. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" She shouted. "What are you talking about then?" Jim practically shouted. "THE OGER!" She shouted. There was a pause as Jim backed away from her. "That wasn't my fault", he spit out.

Barbara started walking up to him, "Yes it was. It was your fault. What he did to me, what he made me do, that was all on you", she said sharply. "NO THAT WAS ON YOU! I DIDN'T MAKE YOU DO ANY OF THAT STUFF!" He shouted as he referred to her killing her parents. "YOU DIDN'T PROTECT ME! BUT YOU WANNA PROTECT OUR DAUGHTER! THAT BASTARD COULD'VE KILLED ME! YOU DIDN'T STOP HIM JIM! YOU DIDN'T STOP HIM RUINING MY LIFE! IF YOU'D JUST BEEN THERE THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE WHAT I DID! I WOULDN'T HAVE KILLED MY PARENTS! IF YOU WOULD'VE JUST CAUGHT HIM THEN YOU COULD'VE STOPPED IT! BUT YOU DIDN'T!" She yelled. Jim glared at her, "I didn't know he had you", he said angrily.

"BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE LOOKED HARDER! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THIS GREAT DETECTIVE BUT YOU COULDN'T TRACK A SERIAL KILLER! HE HAD ME! HE COULD'VE KILL ME JIM! BUT YOU DIDN'T CARE! YOU CARE MORE ABOUT LEE MORE THAN ME! YOU CARE ABOUT HARVEY MORE THAN ME! YOU CARE ABOUT HARVEY'S STUPID CAREER MORE THAN ME! THAT'S WHAT GETS ME! HOW YOU CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE MORE THAN ME! YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME! BUT YOU WROTE ME OFF LIKE I WAS NOTHING! YOU MOVED ON AS IF I WAS JUST SOME ONE NIGHT STAND! YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT ME! I NEEDED YOU THAT NIGHT BUT YOU DIDN'T COME UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE! WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WOULD'VE DONE IF YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP WHEN YOU DID! FOR ALL WE KNOW HE COULD HAVE KILLED ME JIM!" She yelled. Jim growled as he clenched his fist. He was sick of her, and he was sick of her blaming him for something that he didn't do. Jim got in her face, "IF I WOULD'VE KNOWN THAT YOU WERE GONNA PULL THE CRAP THAT YOU'RE PULLING NOW YEARS LATER THEN I WOULD'VE BEEN GLAD IF HE'D KILLED YOU!" He shouted as spit flew out of his mouth. Barbara's mouth immediately fell open in shock as she stared at him while Jim's face softened when he realized what he'd said, and neither said anything as she walked into the bedroom. Jim sighed then he turned around, and followed her. He stood in the doorway, and looked at Barbara as she sat on the edge of her side of the bed. "Go away", she said when she heard him come in.

Jim walked over to the bed, "Barbara, I'm sorry", he said. "I said go away", she with her head down. Jim ignored her, "I didn't mean what I said back there", he said as he moved closer to the bed.

"Jim, please", Barbara said as she felt him sit down on the edge of his side of the bed. Tears filled the corner of her eyes but she still didn't look at him. He didn't look at her either. "I'm sorry, I really am. I'm sorry I said what I said. You have to believe me; I didn't mean it", he said in sadness as his own tears filled the corner of his eyes.

"I don't believe you", she said. Jim ignored her statement, "Barbara as much as you've hurt me I am so glad that he didn't kill you. I didn't want that, for you, or for me. I-I couldn't live with myself if he would've done that", he said. "If you didn't mean it then why did you say it?" She asked. "I-I-I don't know, I don't know why I said it. But I didn't mean it", he said.

Barbara sucked in a breath of air, "Neither do I", she said. There was a pause for a moment as neither one said anything. Jim slightly turned his head to look at her, "W-w-we use to be in love, you, and I. We used to love each other, and we used to be happy once upon time. So what happened? What makes two people who used to be madly in love with each other go from loving one another to hating one another?" He asked as his voice broke. While he'd been speaking one of his hands moved closer towards hers, and one of her hands moved closer towards his. Before they knew it both of their hands were slightly touching. Barbara still didn't look at him, "I don't know Jim; you tell me", she said. Jim didn't know how to answer the question either so he turned his head away from her. There was a long silence as they both looked at their laps.

Jim finally turned his head to look at her again, "Can we just forget about this?" He asked as his voice broke with tears in his eyes. Barbara didn't look at him, "Yeah", she said quietly as she nodded her head. Jim turned his head away from her, "Good", he whispered. He sniffled, and the tears that were in his eyes finally fell down his face as did hers. For what felt like hours the two didn't move, they just sat on the bed, not facing each other, as they slightly cried. Their hands, still touching one another.

**Author's Note- Well there was a very emotional chapter for you. By the way; if any of you are mad because Jim pointed a gun at Barbara while she was sleeping; just remember he pointed a gun at her before on the show. Sometime in season 2 so this isn't that out there. No, seriously go back, and watch. Plus, this is Gotham, that isn't the worst thing a person can do to someone else. Another thing I referenced some things from season 1 too, so there's that. Anyways, what do you think will happen next? You can tell me in the comments, and thanks for reading.**


	10. Choices

**Author's Note- Hey guys, here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Gotham.**

Chapter 10- Choices

Jim laid in bed one morning, asleep. He slowly woke up when he felt the warm sunlight hitting his face. As he opened his eyes he saw the sun's rays gleaming through the window into the bedroom.

He looked over to Barbara's side of the bed but he didn't see her. So, instead of moving, and getting ready for the day he stayed where he was. He didn't know why but for some reason he was feeling pretty good. From an emotional standpoint that is.

Jim continued looking at the empty side of the bed. Maybe he was feeling pretty good because for the past few weeks (ever since their fight) he hadn't really said much to Barbara. It seemed like he could wake up, go to work, maybe have drinks with Harvey later on, afterwards come home, spend time with his daughter, and then go to bed. That was it. No conversations, no fights, and no snide remarks. If they said anything to each other then it would be just a few simple words that mainly concerned their daughter. Sure it was awkward but Jim still liked it because of the fact that there wasn't any fighting between two which actually made him somewhat happy. In fact it was now to point where if he could avoid saying anything to Barbara then he would consider that to be a good day.

Jim slowly sat up then he got out of the bed. He hurried to the bathroom, showered then got dressed. Oddly enough he did all of this with a smile on his face. Today might just be a good day.

* * *

After work Jim went to the bar to have drinks with Harvey. "So, how have you been?" Jim asked before he took a sip of his drink. "Good", Harvey lied as he looked at the counter. Harvey was still being investigated by IAB, and even though he wouldn't admit it Jim could tell that it was taking a toll on his friend. A tow of which Jim still blamed himself for.

Jim turned his head to look at him, "You know if you need anything…", he began to say before he was interrupted. Harvey looked at him, "I don't", he said quickly although it almost came off as a snap. Jim looked away from him, "Okay", he said softly.

Harvey looked at the counter again, "Sorry", he breathed out. He just wanted this investigation to be over. But it didn't seem like IAB was gonna stop until they found something on him.

Jim shook his head to show him that it was no big deal before looking at the bartender, "Get me another beer", he said. The bartender nodded then refilled Jim's glass. Jim took a sip. Harvey looked at him, "So, I talked to my CI today", he said in a much better tone.

"How's he doing?" Jim asked after he'd taken a sip of his beer. Despite being investigated Harvey was still able to keep working, and he'd managed to find someone who he said that they could trust to infiltrate Penguin's organization. He was a young man, eager, and he looked like someone who would work for Penguin. So Harvey figured for that reason alone he'd be a good informant. "Good, I might not be able to talk to him for a few days but when I last saw him he was doing ok", Harvey said before he took a sip of his beer.

Jim nodded his head in approval before he took another sip of his beer. At first he'd been worried about sending somebody undercover, and he'd wanted to use a cop but everybody worried that Penguin, or one of his guys might recognize the cop. That made Jim think about it some, and after a while he realized that using a CI was a better idea. So, he agreed to it.

"What has he found out?" Jim asked as he raised his mug to his lips. "Well like we suspected Penguin killed that guy. The reason is still unclear though", Harvey said.

Jim nodded again, "What does he know about Zucco?" He asked. "Well there's been some problems between Zucco, and Penguin. But we knew that. As far as he knows they're just fighting over territory", Harvey answered.

Jim lifted his mug to his lips again, "So, basically already stuff we suspected?" He asked. "Yeah but now we have confirmation. Which will make it easy to nail him", Harvey said. "Is he wearing the wire?" Jim asked. Harvey nodded, "Won't take it off", he said. "Good", Jim muttered. He was happy to know that CI was determined to help bring down Penguin, and any other threat to Gotham.

Jim let out yawn. Harvey looked at him, "Tired?" He asked. Jim nodded as he rubbed his eyes, "A little", he answered. "Has the baby been keeping you up, or something?" Harvey asked. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he replied as he continued to rub his eyes. Barbara Lee had been extremely cranky the past few days. Especially at night. Barbara was the one to get up to go tend to her but that still didn't stop Jim from being woken up.

"Babies", Harvey said. "It's not just at night though, sometimes I'll go home, and she'll be crying. It's been hard to comfort her for some reason", Jim explained.

"What do you think is wrong?" Harvey asked as he looked at him. Jim sighed, "Honestly I don't know. I keep thinking that even though she's just a baby she still senses the tension between me, and Barbara", he said. "How was she this morning?" Harvey asked. Jim took a sip of his drink, "Quiet; I didn't check on her but she wasn't crying when I woke up so I'm assuming Barbara was taking care of her", he said.

Harvey shifted his gaze towards the counter, "Jim", he said. Jim looked at him, "What is it?" He asked. He couldn't help but notice that Harvey seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden. Harvey groaned before looking at him, "There's something I have to tell you about Barbara", he said.

Jim eyed him, "What about her?" He asked. Harvey rubbed the back of his neck", "Well…", he began as he searched for the right words. "Harvey", Jim snapped so that he would get to the point.

"Well I've been having a friend track Barbara. You know? To see if she slips up, and does something wrong. That way you would have something to use against her so that you can get a divorce, and get your daughter back. Anyways, a few weeks back, he was sitting in his car outside the Sirens, and he saw this guy leaving the club", Harvey said as he looked at him.

Jim leaned forward in curiosity, "A guy?" He asked. Harvey nodded, "Yeah, so he took a picture, showed it to me, and it took me a while but I was able to find out that he was a lawyer. A divorce lawyer", he clarified.

Jim felt his heart almost stop, "A divorce lawyer?" He managed to ask. Harvey nodded, "His name is Jai Jenkins, and apparently he's supposed to be a shark in the courtroom. Especially when it comes to custody disputes", he said.

Jim thought about what Harvey told him before his eyes got wide. "That…", Jim said before he got up. Harvey looked at him in concern, "Jim", he said in a warning tone but he was ignored. Jim hurried out of the bar as Harvey watched him go. He didn't even try to stop him, he didn't think it'd be a good idea if he did.

* * *

It took Jim thirty minutes to arrive at the penthouse. When he opened the door he could hear Barbara Lee crying. "Barbara", Jim angrily called out as he walked through the doorway. He looked around but he didn't see anybody. He could only hear his daughter crying from the nursery.

A moment later Stacy hurried out of the room. She was holding Barbara Lee who was still crying. "Commissioner Gordon I'm so glad your home", she said in relief as she bounced the baby in her arms.

"Stacy, where's Barbara?" Jim asked angrily as he tried to talk over his daughter's crying. Stacy ignored his question, "Commissioner Gordon I have to go. I got a call, and my mom's in the hospital", she said as she handed the baby to her father. Jim took Barbara Lee, who was still crying, from her.

Jim looked at her as he held screaming Barbara Lee. "Stacy…", Jim began but he was interrupted. "I'm really sorry Commissioner Gordon but I can't stay. I just gave Barbara Lee her medicine so she should be good for the next two hours", Stacy frantically said as she headed towards the door.

Jim stopped her, "Medicine, for what?" He asked in confusion. Stacy looked at him, "For her ear infection", she answered. Jim looked back at her in confusion, "Ear infection? I don't know about any ear infection. When did this happen?" He asked. "A few days ago, she had a fever so I called Mrs. Gordon, and she took her to the hospital. Didn't she tell you?" Stacy asked. Jim's eyes were shifted towards the floor, "No", he said. He was surprised at how quiet he sounded. An ear infection; that explained why Barbara Lee had been so cranky for the past few days.

Stacy looked at him from the doorway, "Commissioner Gordon I really have to go. Tell Mrs. Gordon I'm sorry", she said before she left. Jim didn't say anything back. He just stood in silence as he tried to process what Stacy had just told him.

After Stacy left Jim started to try to calm down his daughter. She'd been crying throughout his whole conversation with Stacy, and she showed no signs of letting up. Jim shushed her as he bounced her in his arms, trying to get her to calm down but it didn't work. "It's okay sweetie, it's okay, don't worry", he said in a soothing voice before he kissed her forehead.

For the next several hours Jim walked around the apartment with Barbara Lee in his arms. He shushed her, and bounced her in his arms so that she would calm down. There were moments where she would stop crying but they didn't last long, and she would start to cry again. He'd given her the medicine that she needed but she still cried. After a while it'd begun to frustrate Jim.

Finally, at around 9:00pm, Barbara finally arrived home. She looked at him as she walked through the doorway. His hair was disheveled, he looked exhausted but most of all he looked angry to see her.

"What's wrong?" Barbara asked in a disinterested tone. Jim ignored her question as he glared at her, "Where have you been?" He asked angrily. Barbara looked at him, "I got stuck in a meeting", she told him. Jim quickly glanced at his watch before he glanced back at her, "It's 9:00 pm", he practically shouted. Barbara narrowed her eyes at him, "Yeah, meetings run late Jim, it happens", she said.

Jim glared at her, "You should've called", he practically yelled. Barbara got in his face, "I don't have to call, and what are you so angry about anyway?" She asked in annoyance. Jim growled, "I'm angry because our daughter has been screaming her head off all day, and I've been having to take care of her by myself", he said. He was surprised that he wasn't shouting despite how angry, and frustrated he was.

A look of concern appeared on Barbara's face. "Is she ok?" Barbara asked. Jim glared at her, "She's sleeping", he said.

"I need to go check on her", Barbara said as she walked past him. Jim stayed where he was, "Why didn't you tell me about her ear infection?" He asked. Barbara stopped then she turned around, and looked at him. "I didn't think you needed to know", she said after a while.

Jim looked at her, "She's my daughter Barbara, I have a right to know that she's sick", he angrily said. Barbara looked at him, "Jim, it's an ear infection, it's not that big of a deal", she told him. "It is a big deal Barbara. The past few days my daughter has been cranky, and I haven't been able to figure out why. She's been in pain, and I didn't know. But you knew, and you didn't even tell me", he practically yelled.

"Don't blame me Jim. You're her father, and you couldn't even tell that she was sick", Barbara said in the same tone. "I DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!" He yelled. "I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TELL YOU!" She shouted. "YES YOU DO! I'M HER FATHER! IF SOMETHING HAPPENS THEN I HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT!" He yelled as he got in her face. Barbara glared at him, "That's not how I see it", she said before she turned around then headed towards the nursery again.

Without thinking Jim grabbed her arm. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Barbara glared at her arm then at him before she yanked her arm away. "Get your hands off of me, and if you ever do that again then I'll cut both of your hands off", she said as she stuck her finger in his face.

"STOP WITH THE THREATS! I'M SICK OF THEM!" He shouted as he placed both of his hands on the side of his head. Barbara took a quick glance at the nursery, "Keep your voice down", she said in a hushed whisper as she glared back at him. "No", he growled as he shook his head.

"Jim…", Barbara said but he interrupted her. "I'm so sick of you threatening me, telling me what to do, and treating me like I'm some live-in babysitter instead of Barbara Lee's father", he said. Barbara glared at him, "Don't even go there Jim, I have given you every opportunity to be her father. It's not my fault that you're such a crappy one", she said.

Jim stuck his finger in her face, "Don't do that, don't tell me that I'm a bad father", he said in a quiet voice. Barbara glared at him, "The way you're acting now isn't how a father is supposed to act Jim. Your daughter is sick, and you're making it all about you", she said.

Jim growled, "THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT ME!" He shouted. "THAT RIGHT THERE! YELLING AT ME! SCREAMING ABOUT HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR DAUGHTER JIM! YOU CARE ABOUT YOURSELF!" Barbara shouted. Jim didn't say anything instead he whirled around while he ran his hands through his hair. He began to pace to room. Jim looked at her as if he were in pain, "Why do you do this to me?" He asked in a loud voice. "Do what?" She asked as she glared at him. "Why do you get me so worked up?" He asked in a loud voice. Barbara just looked at him, "Maybe because I'm sick of you", she simply said.

Jim glared at her, "Is that why you're talking to a divorce lawyer?" He asked. Barbara's eyes went wide, "How did you find out about that?" She asked in a quiet voice. Jim glared at her, "Harvey told me", he growled.

Barbara stared at him for a while before she just smirked, "Well now you know just how sick of you I am", she said. Jim walked towards her, "You bitch, here I am trying to make things work, and you're talking to a divorce lawyer behind my back", he said before he stopped in front of her. Barbara let out a laugh, "Make things work? Jim you haven't been trying to make things work because there's nothing to make work. We're not a real couple, we don't even like each other", she said.

Jim glared at her, "Well then let me leave", he said in a quiet voice. Maybe this was it, maybe she was finally gonna let him have a divorce. This could be his chance right here.

Barbara looked at him, "Gladly, as soon as you sign those papers you can leave", she said. Jim sighed in frustration, "No", he barked out. Barbara scoffed, "Jim, in case you haven't realized I'm done with this marriage because I can't take it anymore. I can't take your whining, your temper tantrums, or your pining over some bitch that left you", she said.

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" Jim yelled as he ran over to her. He was about to put his hands around her neck but he stopped himself. Barbara smirked, "There it is; you defending everyone but me. You know what? Since Harvey being investigated isn't enough to make you sign away your rights then maybe Lee having her job on the line will", she said.

Jim pointed his finger at her, "You leave her alone", he growled. Barbara got in his face, "I will if you sign the papers, or else I will go after her. Not only that but I will go after Alvarez, and Harper too. I will go after them, and I'll take away everything you care about until I get what I want", she said.

Jim sucked in a huge breath of air as he listened to her. His fists were clenched, he was sweating, and he was shaking. He felt like he was gonna explode.

"Barbara don't make me…", he said in a warning tone. "No Jim, don't make me; don't me have to go after Lee, don't make me have to go after Harper, or Alvarez because I'll go after them. I will ruin their careers, their personal lives, and whatever futures they have. By the time I'm done with them they will have nothing. So, we can keep playing this song, and dance for as long as you want. But just remember I have their futures in my hands; they are mine for the taking, and I will take them. I will destroy them, and it will be all your fault. So, if you don't want that then sign, the papers, now", she nearly yelled.

"No", Jim said as he tried to keep himself from yelling even though it was hard. "Yes", she said as she looked at him. Jim shook his head as he thought about his daughter, "No", he said again in the same tone as before. Barbara growled as she clenched her fists then she let out a scoff, "Okay, I guess I'll make some calls, starting with Lee's boss", she said as she pulled out her cell phone.

Jim turned his head to look at her, "Barbara…", he said as if he were in pain. There was sweat on his forehead. Barbara stared at him as she held her cell phone, "Jim, just sign the papers because if I have to ask again then I will call Lee's boss", she threatened.

Jim took a deep breath as the sweat rolled down his face, "Please", he said. Barbara growled again, "No, this is your last chance Jim. Sign the papers, now", she nearly yelled.

At that moment Jim let out a yell as he ran to the bookcase, and grabbed the papers. He slammed them down on the counter, grabbed a nearby pen then, without hesitation, he started signing the documents. Barbara looked at him in shock as he signed them.

Jim slammed down the pen that he was holding, "THERE!" He shouted before he hurried to the door. He grabbed his coat. Barbara looked at him, the look of shock still on her face. "Where…", she started to say before he interrupted her. "Now I want a divorce", he practically yelled before he walked out of the penthouse. He slammed the door on his way out. Barbara was still looking at the door in shock before she looked at the documents in silence.

* * *

After Jim had left the penthouse he hurried out of the building then he made his way to his car. He got in then he started speeding away. His tires made a screeching sound on the pavement as he did so.

Jim glared at the road as he drove. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was getting as far away from Barbara as he could.

His hands gripped the steering wheel as he continued to glare at the road ahead. What did he just do? Did he really just sign away his parental rights? Did he really just abandon his own daughter? Jim's hands gripped the steering wheel harder as he thought about it. Yes, he did just sign away his rights. But it was for a good reason. Barbara was not gonna stop torturing him, and she was gonna keep going after his friends unless he did as she wanted. So, he had to do it.

Jim's face twisted into a scowl as he continued to drive down the dark road. A part of him wanted to turn the car back around, and head back to the penthouse. But another part of him wouldn't let himself do that.

He couldn't go back there. After all he'd gotten what he wanted, and so had she. So, no he wasn't going back. Instead he was gonna find Lee, beg for her forgiveness, and start a life with her.

But what about his baby? Jim thought about Barbara Lee when that thought crossed his mind. He loved his daughter but there would be other babies. He was sure he would have some with Lee, and that he would be happy raising them with her.

But Barbara Lee needed him. No, she didn't. Barbara could provide a good life for their daughter on her own. She didn't need Jim's help, and Jim was sure that Barbara Lee would be better off without him in her life. He was a screw up, somebody who was constantly getting himself in situations where the people he cared about got put in the crossfire. Barbara Lee didn't need that in her life.

Jim used one of his hands to run his fingers through his hair as he fought the urge to turn around. He couldn't do this. No matter how hard he tried to justify his actions he couldn't abandon his daughter. He knew that if he left, and that if he allowed those papers to be filed then he'd regret it for the rest of his life.

Plus, he couldn't imagine not being able to be a father to Barbara Lee, and he couldn't miss out on watching her grow up. Not to mention he couldn't allow her to grow up thinking that he didn't love her. He didn't want her thinking that, and he didn't want her hating him for abandoning her either because if he allowed those papers to be filed then he would in fact be abandoning her.

Jim put his other hand back on the steering wheel. He drove until he saw a U-Turn signal on the road. He used it then he began to make his way back to the penthouse.

* * *

Jim walked through the front door, and saw that all of the lights were turned off. The only light that he got was from the moon that was shining through the window. He looked around as he hung his coat up on the rack. Since there were no lights on he figured that Barbara must've already gone to bed.

Jim walked over to the counter, and looked at the forms that he'd signed stating that he was relinquishing his parental rights. Next to those papers were divorce forms. Jim looked at them. He should've known that Barbara wouldn't waste anytime having some lawyer get her divorce papers after he'd signed away his parental rights.

Jim continued to look at the divorce papers. As much as he wanted a divorce he wasn't gonna get one at the cost of his daughter. He looked away from the divorce papers then he looked at the bedroom, and without a second thought he headed inside.

**Author's Note- Well what did you think? Are you upset that Jim gave into Barbara's demands? Do you at least understand why he did? Are you happy that he changed his mind? Should he have changed his mind? Do you think that Barbara Lee is better off without Jim? Anyways I know it took me forever to get this chapter posted, and I'm sorry about that. But it's posted, and that's all that matters. So, you can tell me what you think of it in the reviews, and thanks for reading.**


	11. Ten Things I Like About You

**Author's Note- Hey guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Gotham.**

Chapter 11- Ten Things I Like About You

The next morning Barbara woke to find some papers laying right next to her. They were laying in the same spot that Jim slept in. She slowly picked them up, and looked at them in confusion. They were the same forms Jim signed that relinquished his parental rights. She continued to stare at them in confusion as she wondered how they got next to her when she heard somebody walk out of the bathroom.

She turned over, and was shocked to see a shirtless Jim walk out of the bathroom. He glared at her for a bit before he walked over to the closet, and pulled out some clothes. She couldn't help but watch as he got dressed.

A look of anger then appeared on her face as she watched him leave the room. She quickly got out of bed, and hurried after him. "What are you doing here?" She angrily asked when she saw him. Jim looked at her, "What do you mean? I live here. So, does my daughter", he said.

Barbara gave him a dumbfounded look, "But you left", she reminded him. Jim looked away from her, "I decided to come back", he said like it was no big deal. Barbara's eyes went wide as she slowly shook her head, "You can't do that", she said. Jim looked at her, "Yes I can", he said nonchalantly.

Barbara growled in frustration as she took out the papers, that he'd signed, and threw them down on the counter. "You signed the papers, remember? By law you are no longer Barbara Lee's father", she said. Jim stared at her, "There was no witness when I signed them", he told her.

Barbara let out a sigh of disbelief, "So? What does that have to do with anything?" She asked as she threw up one of her hands in frustration. "You need to have a witness, to witness me signing the forms. Otherwise it's invalid", he said.

Barbara growled as she stared at him. He made a good point. There was no way a judge would allow those forms to be filed unless they were signed by a public notary. She couldn't believe this. How could she have been so foolish as to not have someone around when Jim signed the papers? Now she was back at square one.

"I still don't want you here", was all she could say. Jim glared at her, "Too bad because I'm not going anywhere. So, I don't care what you do because I'm not backing down. I'm not giving up my daughter", he said.

Barbara stared at him, "What about Alvarez, or Harper? What about Harvey?" She asked. Jim glared at her, "Harvey already understands why I can't sign away my daughter. Alvarez, and Harper might be a different story. But I'm not gonna let you bully me into giving up Barbara Lee", he said.

Barbara closed her eyes, "Jim…", she said as she searched for the right words. "No, Barbara I'm not leaving", he said. Barbara opened her eyes, "Well then I guess I'll have to go to the DA", she said.

She walked past him as she headed towards the counter. She hadn't wanted it to come to this but Jim had bought it on himself. Jim's eyes followed her as she walked to the hiding spot where she kept the evidence, "You won't do it", he said simply. There was no fear, or worry in his voice.

Barbara had bent down to open the cabinet doors but she'd stopped midway when she'd heard his statement. She stood up, and looked at him. "What makes you say that?" She asked with a glare. "You won't do that to Barbara Lee. That's why you've been finding other ways to get me to sign over my parental rights so you don't have to turn the evidence over to the DA", he said.

"You really don't think I'll do it?" She asked. "I don't put anything past you Barbara but I honestly don't think you wanna risk hurting Barbara Lee by getting me sent to prison", he said. Barbara took a step towards him, "She'll get over it", she said.

"Will she?" He asked. "Yeah", she answered. He could hear the uncertainty in voice which told him that she wasn't very sure of that. Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "She'll hate you for the rest of her life", he said as he played on her uncertainty.

Barbara was about to say something but she held her tough. She clenched one of her fists in anger as she thought about what he said. It was true, there was a chance that Barbara Lee would hate her, or at least hold a grudge against her, and if something were to happen to Jim while he was in prison then the chances of her daughter being angry at her only grew. Barbara didn't want to risk any of that, she didn't want her daughter to be angry at her, and she didn't want her to look at her with disgust, or resentment either.

"You don't have to stay here", she finally said. Jim had his arms folded, "I don't wanna stay here", he quickly added. "But if I allow you to divorce me, without properly signing those papers, you're gonna go after full custody, right?" She asked. Jim glared at her, "Yeah, and if I do that then you're gonna go to the DA with the evidence that you have against me", he said.

Barbara didn't say anything. Instead she could only nod at his statement. "So, what do we do?" She asked after a while. Jim stared at her, "Neither one of us is willing to share custody. We both just admitted that. So, it looks like we're stuck with one another. At least until Barbara Lee turns 18, unless you plan on keeping this going long after that happens", he said. "No", she said quickly. The sooner she could be rid of him, the better.

Jim narrowed his eyes, "Well then it looks like we're gonna have to learn to get along until that happens", he said. Barbara glared at him, "Not possible", she said as she walked to the other end of the counter. Jim's eyes followed her as she moved, "Look, we both don't wanna be in this marriage but we both love Barbara Lee. So, for her sake we have to learn to get along", he said.

Barbara looked at him, "How?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Jim looked at the floor as he tried to think of a way. He let out a sign. "We're gonna have to think of something", he said as he looked at her.

"Like?" She pushed. Jim shook his head in frustration, "How about we tell one another...ten things that we like about the other", he said looked at her. Barbara let out a bitter laugh, "I'm not sure we can do that. I don't even think either one of us could think of one nice thing to say about the other. Let alone ten nice things", she said as she looked at him.

Jim looked at her, "Come on, we should try it. Just ten things that are good, or that we like about the other. Here I'll start; I…", he said as he trailed off. This really was hard. Barbara glared at him, "Come on Jim", she snapped. Jim held his hand up to silence her, "Okay...I'm...impressed at how good of a shot you are. Even though, when we were together, you didn't know how to use a gun", he said quickly as he looked at her. That really wasn't easy to come up with. But at least he got something.

Barbara shrugged, "Okay", she said. Jim glared at her, "Now, it's your turn", he said. Barbara stared at him, "You're great in bed", she said. Jim gave her a look of surprise when she said that, like he hadn't been expecting her to say that. Barbara just stared back at him in silence as she waited for him to say something nice.

Jim tried not blush as he shifted his gaze away from her, "So are you", he said. Barbara glared at him, "You can't use that", she protested. Jim looked at her disbelief, "Why not? You said it" He said as he flung his hands out in frustration. Barbara scoffed, "Only because it's true", she said. "Well it's true for you too", he countered.

There was a pause before Barbara slowly shook her head. "Okay", she said in defeat. Jim shifted his gaze away from her again, "Your turn", he said. Barbara stared at the clothes that he was wearing, "I think you look good in a suit", she said. Jim raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, "That's it?" He asked. Barbara continued staring at the clothes that he was wearing, "Yeah, I like how good you look when you wear one. It makes me kind of glad that you don't dress in casual clothes a lot", she said.

"Seriously?" He asked. "What? You said, say something nice, and I said something nice. Now it's your turn", she said.

There was another pause. "I like how resourceful you are. The way you're able to use what you have around you to your advantage", he said. Barbara looked at him, "You think I'm resourceful?" She asked. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he said softly.

Barbara stood where she was as she thought up a new one, "I like how you're determined to save Gotham, even though I think it's a lost cause. But you don't, and I admire that", she said. She did admire it on some level. After all, most people would have given up on the city a long time ago. But not Jim, and that was something she admired.

Jim nodded, "I like how you're confident", he said with a smirk. Even when she was just an art gallery owner Jim thought that she had a bit of confidence about her. It was one of the things that had attracted him to her.

Barbara tapped her chin in thought before she thought up something else. "I think it's cute how you blush when you're embarrassed", she said with a smile as she looked at him. "I don't blush when I'm embarrassed", he said as he quickly looked away from her. "Yes, you do", she protested. "No, I don't", he said as he continued to look away from her.

At that moment his cheeks started turning red. Barbara noticed, "See, you're doing it right now", she said triumph. Jim finally looked at her, "Okay, I blush. There I admit it. But it's only when I'm embarrassed", he said in annoyance. Barbara smirked, "Okay, now you say something nice", she said.

Jim thought of something, "One thing that I've noticed over the last few years is that you can adapt to any situation you find yourself in. No matter what it is, you're able to make it work to your advantage", he said. Barbara scoffed as she smiled, "I do, don't I?" She asked. Jim ignored the arrogance in her voice as he gave his head a slight nod. "Yeah, like when we were cut off from the mainland, you were able to keep your club running even though the city was in complete chaos", he said.

Barbara continued to smile as she looked at him, and that caused him to smile a little. "Your smile", she said. Jim stared at her in confusion, "What?" He asked. Barbara smirked, "I like your smile", she said.

Jim's smile widened a bit, "I...like the way your eyes light up when you're happy", he said as he looked at eyes. Barbara laughed a little, "You make me laugh", she said. Jim laughed a little too.

He thought again for a moment before a serious look crossed his face. His eyes shifted to the side. "Back when...we were...together. Whenever I had a hard case, you were there for me. I liked that, a lot", he said as he shifted his gaze towards her again.

A small smile crossed her face when he said that. "Really?" She asked. Jim nodded, "Yeah, I really appreciated it", he said.

Barbara smiled, "I think it's...amazing how you made Commissioner in such a few, short, years", she said. "I'm...glad that you managed to stay safe through the years", he said. "I loved the feel of being in your arms", she said. Jim raised an eyebrow at her, "Really?" He asked. Barbara stared at him, "What? I like the feel of your arms. It's not that special", she said.

Jim stared at her, and there was another pause. "I'm impressed that you managed to keep the gangs from fighting, all by yourself, and I never thanked you for that. So...thank you", he told her. Barbara shifted her gaze away from him, "You're welcome", she said. Jim smiled a little, "Okay, your turn", he said quietly.

Barbara thought back to when she had to keep the gangs from tearing each other apart, and she remembered what else happened that day too. It was the day that Jim had been shot. She remembered the blood, how still he looked on the ground, and how scared she'd been. Barbara looked at him, "I'm glad that you didn't die...after being shot", she said.

There was yet another long pause as they stared at each other. Finally Jim looked at her in the eyes. "You're a good mother", he said quietly. Barbara stared back at him in the eyes, "You're a good father", she said in the same tone.

Jim shifted his gaze from her as he coughed in his hand, "Okay...Well that was…", he said as he trailed off. Barbara looked at him, "Hard?" She asked. Jim smiled, "Y-Yeah", he said. Barbara smiled too, "At least we got it done", she said. Jim nodded in agreement.

Jim looked at her, "So...the next time we think about killing each other we should remember those things", he said. Barbara continued to smile, "Okay", she said as she chuckled a little. "Alright", Jim said as he too chuckled.

"So, what happens now?" She asked. A look of seriousness crossed Jim's face. "We need to set up some new ground rules", he said as he placed one of his hands on the top of the couch. "Okay", she said softly.

"First, you get IAB to back off of Harvey", Jim said. Barbara looked at him, "Okay", she said. Jim sighed, "The other thing, we have got to stop fighting the way we do, okay? I don't want Barbara Lee growing up around it", he said. "Neither do I", Barbara said in a quiet voice.

Jim looked at her, "The last thing is, we run everything, that has to do with Barbara Lee, by each other. Even if it's something small. No matter what we are still her parents, and we both deserve to know what is going on with her", he said. Barbara looked at him, "I agree", she said as she nodded her head.

Jim glared at her, "Okay, so I take it you'll make whatever calls you have to make to stop the investigation against Harvey?" He asked. Barbara nodded again, "Yeah,", she said quietly. Jim continued to glare at her, "Today?" He asked in an unsure voice. Barbara stared at him, "I'll make the call", she said as she pulled out her cell phone. Jim's facial expression softened as he stared at her, "Thank you", he said. Barbara looked at him, "You're welcome", she said. Jim nodded his head at her to show his gratitude then he walked out the door. Barbara watched him go.

**Author Note- Well wasn't that a nice chapter? They managed to find common ground. Are you happy that they had a decent, and meaningful conversation? Did you expect them too? You can tell me what you think in the reviews, and thanks for reading.**


	12. Keys

**Author's Note- Hey guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Gotham.**

Chapter 12- Keys

Jim's eyes snapped open at the sound of Barbara Lee's crying. He looked over at the clock that was on his night stand. It was 8:00am, and he knew he had to be at work soon.

Jim groaned as he stretched out his arms, and legs. While he would've loved to have at least slept for another 30 minutes his daughter couldn't wait. Barbara looked at him as he was about to get out of bed, "I'll get her", she said. Jim stopped, and looked at her. "You sure?" He asked. Barbara nodded, "Yeah, go back to sleep", she said. Jim didn't say a word, instead he laid back down, and went back to sleep.

* * *

An hour later Jim left the penthouse, and headed straight to his car. He got in the driver's side, and started the engine. However as he drove out of the parking lot he heard something rattling. Confused, he stopped the car, and got out. He inspected the vehicle, and was shocked when he saw the bottom of the front passenger's (the side that Barbara had damaged) door hanging loose.

Still shocked, he foolishly tried to fix it but to no avail. Jim ran his fingers through his hair in panic, "Damnit", he breathed. He took a deep breath as he continued to run his fingers through his hair afterwards he took another look at the side of his car. How did this happen? Jim knew the damage was bad but he didn't think it was this bad. He didn't think that the door would fall, well almost start to fall off. After all it'd been a little over a month since Barbara had beat the side of his car with a tire iron, and Jim had been careful not to bother it. So, seeing one of the doors start to fall off was a shock.

The only conclusion that he could come up with as to why his car door was coming loose was probably because it was already loose to begin with, and driving over something like a pothole must've loosened it up even more. Thus causing it to break off, and if he'd continued driving then it would've probably have broken off. Thankfully that didn't happen.

Jim sucked in a breath of air, "Damnit", he said as he breathed out. He sighed in frustration before he got back in his car. Afterwards he carefully ( so he wouldn't damage his door even more) pulled back into the parking lot then he got out, and headed back towards the building.

* * *

Barbara was in the living room, gently bouncing Barbara Lee in her arms, when she heard the front door open. She looked up, and saw Jim walk through the doorway. "I didn't expect you home so soon", Barbara said.

Jim looked at her, "I'm not staying", he said. Barbara watched as he walked past her, "So, what happened?" She asked. "One of my car doors is falling off", he answered.

A look of concern crossed Barbara's face. "Is it the side that's damaged?" She asked even though she knew the answer. Jim stopped, and sighed before he looked at her. "Yeah", he said. A few weeks ago he would've replied with a snide remark but given the fact that the two had agreed to get along for the sake of their daughter he knew doing such a thing would erase any progress that they'd made over the last week.

"I'm sorry", she said. "So, am I", he said under his breath as he looked away. He headed towards the bedroom. Barbara watched him go, "What are you gonna do?" She asked. Him heading towards the bedroom made her think he was going to stay home, and call in sick. Jim walked back into the living room, "I'm gonna call a cab", he said as he looked at her.

Barbara looked at him as she grabbed her keys that were laying on the counter, "No, here take my car", she said as she tossed them to him. Jim caught them midway in the air. He looked at them before looking back at her. "You sure?" He asked. Barbara nodded, "Yeah", she said.

"But how will you get to work?" He asked. Barbara bounced Barbara Lee in her arms before she stared at him. "Jim, I own half of Gotham now. I can work from home if I want to. So, take my car until yours is fixed, and I can find another way to work if need be,'' Barbara said.

Jim raised his eyebrow at her, "You sure?" He asked again. Barbara smiled at him, "Yes Jim, now go before you're late. I don't wanna hear your mouth if that happens", she said. Her tone had a mix of annoyance, and teasing to it.

Jim couldn't help but smile as he looked at the keys before a look of horror appeared on his face. He quickly threw the keys back on the counter. "The car's not gonna blow up is it?" He asked as he slightly jumped back. Barbara stared at him, "No, trust me Jim if I was gonna kill you then I wouldn't blow you up. I'd shoot you", she teased as she smirked at him.

Jim looked at her then a small smile appeared on his face when he saw that she was joking. "I'll see you later, and thanks for letting me use your car", he said. "You're welcome", she said.

Jim gave Barbara Lee a kiss on her forehead as he grabbed the keys off the counter. He tossed them in the air before catching them midway with a smile on his face. Jim looked at Barbara. "Thanks again", he said with a smile still plastered on his face then he headed out the door for the second time that morning.

Barbara couldn't help but smile as she gently shook her head in amusement. Ever since their talk a little over a week ago; her, and Jim had actually been getting along. No fights, no petty arguments, or threats. Just two people who lived in the same house while co-parenting their daughter, and while that had been something that Barbara had wanted a part of her still couldn't help but think that things would fall apart. But so far that hasn't happened, and she was pretty grateful for that.

Barbara Lee babbled as she looked around the room. Barbara smiled as she looked at her. Over the last week she'd noticed a change in her daughter, she seemed happier, and Barbara couldn't help but think that it was because she no longer sensed the tension between her parents. If that was possible then that made Barbara even more grateful that her, and Jim were starting to get along. Not only that but it made her determined to keep it that way. For Barbara Lee's sake that is.

Barbara Lee continued to babble as she stared at the ceiling. Barbara's smile grew as she continued bouncing her in her arms. "Yeah, I know. I surprise myself too sometimes. But mommy can be nice, even to your daddy", Barbara said before she rubbed their foreheads together.

* * *

That afternoon Jim, and Harvey were walking along the docks. They walked over to the edge of the pier. Jim looked out across the river, "How's your CI doing?" He asked. Harvey looked out across the river too, "As good as any guy in his situation could be", he answered. His CI had been undercover for a while now, and had slowly been working his way up in Penguin's organization. He was trying to get as close to Penguin as he could so that he could finally get the thing that would nail him.

Jim nodded, "Has he found out anything new?" He asked as he looked at his friend. Harvey looked at Jim as he nodded. "Yeah, a lot actually", Harvey said.

Jim raised one of his eyebrows, "Like?" He asked. "Racketeering, money laundering, illegal arms dealing, and that's just the start of it. Jim, if we move in now then we would have enough to put away most of Penguin's lower level guys. Half his operation would be in prison", Harvey said as his voice rose in excitement.

"What about Oswald himself?" Jim asked. Harvey rubbed the back of his head, "Not him...not yet. But my guy's working on it. Like I said he's found out a lot", he said. "But he hasn't found anything that can be directly connected to Oswald?" Jim asked. Harvey shook his head, "No, not really. At least nothing that can be proven without a shadow of doubt", he said.

Jim sighed as he looked back out at the river, "Great", he breathed out in sarcasm. He knew that if they put away most of Oswald's men then that would cause a huge dent in his empire. But Jim also knew that it would mean nothing because Oswald would only be out of power for a few months, if that, and as soon as he got more men then he would be back at it. So, they needed to get something, something big, that would put him away for good.

Harvey looked at him, "We'll get him partner", he said. "I know", Jim said quietly. He really wanted to get Oswald off the street along with Tony Zucco before an all out mob war could break out.

Jim looked at him, "How close is he to Oswald? Has he made contact?" He asked. "He's met him a few times. Right now he's what you would call an enforcer. But he's trying to become Penguin's bodyguard so that he can catch him in some kind of act", Harvey told him.

"When are you gonna see him again?" Jim asked. "Soon, we have a meeting in a few days so I'll see if he has any new information that we can use", Harvey said. Jim nodded his head a little, "Good", he said.

Harvey smiled, "I'm telling you working to take down Penguin is a lot easier now that I'm not being investigated anymore", he said. Jim smiled too, "Tell me about it", he said as turned around then walked away. "Are you ever gonna tell me how that came about? Getting Barbara to stop the investigation?" Harvey asked as he watched him go. After Harvey had been told that he was no longer being investigated he'd asked Jim, to see if he'd known why Barbara had stopped it, and Jim didn't go into any details. He'd just said that it'd been taken care of. Jim stopped walking, "Me, and Barbara called a truce", he said as he turned around.

Harvey watched as he walked away again, "Well can you tell me how that happened?" He asked as he flung out his arms in frustration. Jim stopped walking, and once again faced his friend. "We both came to the conclusion that neither of us was walking away without full custody of Barbara Lee. So, naturally we realized that we were stuck together until she was an adult. We figured that if we're gonna stay together until then, then we had to find some way to get along. So, we each said ten nice things about the other, and we agreed to remember those things in case one of us got upset with the other", Jim explained.

Harvey gave him a dumbfounded look, "How did you do that?" He asked in disbelief. It was hard to imagine either Jim, or Barbara saying anything nice about the other. Unless it was laced in insults. Jim shifted his gaze towards the ground, "It wasn't easy but we did it", he said with a sigh.

"So, how are things between you guys now?" Harvey asked. Jim shifted his gaze back towards him, "Pretty good actually. We've been getting along, taking care of Barbara Lee, and when I couldn't use my car this morning she let me use hers", Jim explained.

Harvey's eyes widened, "Wait, she let you use her car? But you're still alive", he said in disbelief. Jim looked at him as a smile crossed his face, "I know but for some reason I trust her. I don't know why but I don't think she really wants to hurt me", he said. He really didn't. Despite Barbara's earlier mistreatment of him, Jim didn't think that she truly wanted to physically hurt him. Let alone kill him.

Harvey rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the ground. He didn't know what to make of this new development. Harvey groaned, "I don't man are you sure that you can trust her?" He asked as he finally looked at his friend. Jim grinned at him, "Yeah, I do", he said.

"Just be careful", Harvey said. He didn't want Jim to get stabbed in the back. Both literally, or figuratively. Jim continued to grin, "I will", he said. Harvey grinned back at him then the two headed away from the docks.

* * *

As the weeks past Jim continued to take Barbara's car to, and from work. They'd continued getting along, and had even been making conversation. Something that neither of them thought they would be doing since getting married.

Jim woke up one morning then he showered, and got dressed. Afterwards he headed out to the living room where he saw Barbara holding Barbara Lee. She looked at him with a smile.

Jim gave her a look of confusion, "What's going on?" He asked. Barbara continued to smile at him, "I have a surprise for you", she said. Jim raised an eyebrow, "A surprise?" He asked in confusion. Barbara smiled as she nodded, "Yeah, follow me", she said.

Jim watched her walk out the doorway. At first he was hesitant to follow her because he didn't know what she had planned. But since she took the baby he figured she wasn't planning to do anything bad to him. After all she had no reason to. They'd been getting along so there was no reason to do anything to him.

Not wanting to waste another moment Jim followed her. They headed out of the building to the parking lot. "Are you gonna tell me what's going on?" He asked in annoyance. Barbara turned her head to look at him as she continued to walk, "I told you it's a surprise", she said before she faced forward again. Jim sighed in defeat as he continued to follow her.

They walked past a few cars in the lot until they stopped. Barbara faced him. It was clear something was behind her but Jim couldn't see what it was.

Jim glared at her, "Now are you gonna tell me?" He asked. The tone in his voice was still full of annoyance. Barbara smirked as she stood in front of him, "Just look", she said as stepped out of the way.

As soon as she did Jim saw it; his car. At least he thought it was his car. It was the same model but he still couldn't tell because it looked so different. Brand new to be exact.

It was shiny, like it'd been polished a million times over. It looked like it'd gotten a paint job done because there were no scratches. The inside had been cleaned. But most importantly there was no damage on the passenger's side. It was completely dent free.

Jim's mouth fell open at the sight of it, "Is-Is that my car?" He asked in disbelief. He wanted to be sure that it was, and not a new one. Although he wouldn't complain if it was a new one due to how nice it looked. Barbara smiled at him, "Yeah", she said.

Jim couldn't help but laugh as he hurried over to the car. He stared at it in disbelief for a few seconds before he looked back at her. "I don't believe it...It can't be...It looks so brand new", he said in excitement. A huge smile was on his face.

Barbara smiled back at him, "Well I was gonna get you a new one but then I found somebody who said that they could fix it. The guy charged me a fortune but I figured since I'm the one who destroyed your car to begin with then I should at least pay for it. No matter the cost", she told him.

Jim took a quick look at his car again before he looked back at Barbara. "Thank you", he said. His voice was full of gratitude.

"Yeah well I only did it so you would stop using my car", she said. "Thank you", Jim repeated. Even though she tried to brush it off as no big deal it was a big deal to him. It was the nicest thing she'd done for him (beside letting him use her car) since getting married. She needed to know that he appreciated it.

Barbara sighed in defeat as she smiled, "You're welcome, now you better get to work before you're late", she said. Jim nodded, "Right", he agreed with a smile. Barbara tossed him his keys which he caught mid air.

Jim was about to get in his car before he stopped then he quickly turned around, and hurried towards Barbara. He kissed Barbara Lee's forehead, and without thinking he hugged Barbara. She looked at him in shock but before she could say anything Jim got in his car, and took off.

* * *

That afternoon Harvey was at the bar sitting at the counter when Jim walked in. He had a huge smile on his face, and there was bounce in his step as he walked towards him. "Hey", Jim said when he reached the counter. Harvey looked at him, "Hey", he said.

Jim sat down, and immediately dug into the chips that were in front of Harvey. "So, what's new with your CI?" Jim asked as he looked at him. Harvey gave him a look of concern, "That's what I've been wanting to talk with you all day about", he said.

Jim saw his look of concern, "What's wrong?" He asked. Harvey sighed, "I haven't heard from him in weeks", he said. Jim raised an eyebrow, "When was the last time that you talked to him face to face?" He asked. Harvey thought back, "It's been a while", he said.

"What happened the last time you spoke to him?" Jim asked. "I punched him", Harvey said nonchalantly. Jim's eyes widened, "Why?" He asked. Harvey groaned, "We'd met up in our usual meet up place, and some of Penguin's other goons saw us. So, we had to act fast. He started talking all tough to save face. You know, telling me to back off, and stuff like that then I punched him", he explained.

"Did they buy it?" Jim asked. He was referring to Penguin's goons. Harvey looked at the counter as he nodded, "Yeah, he ran off with them, and like I said I haven't heard from him since", he said.

Jim thought about it before he shrugged, "I wouldn't worry. He's probably just deep undercover", he said then he went back to eating the chips. Harvey looked at him, "You don't understand. At the end of every meet up we plan another one, and he missed it. I called his burner phone that he uses to contact me but I got nothing", he said.

Jim shifted his gaze towards him, "I'm sure he's okay", he said. "I can't help but think that he isn't", Harvey said. "Well is there anything that he said during your last meeting that would make you think differently?" Jim asked. "No, not really. He just said that he was getting close", Harvey said.

"Close?" Jim asked. Harvey looked at him as he nodded, "Yeah, he said that he was starting to get closer to Penguin, and that Penguin was starting to trust him more. He even said he was starting to become his favorite", he said.

Jim smiled at him, "Well there you go, that's probably why he went radio silent. Now that he's Penguin's friend he probably doesn't wanna risk getting caught talking to you so he cut off communication for a while. I'm sure he'll get in touch with you when he has something on Oswald, or when he feels it's safe to start talking to you again", he said.

Harvey gave him a look of disbelief, "How can you be so chill about this?" He asked. Jim shrugged, "I just don't see the point in worrying", he said as he smiled. Harvey looked at the smile that was on his face, "What are you so happy about?" He asked. Jim's smile grew, "I got my car fixed", he told him.

"Really?" Harvey asked. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he said happily. Harvey thought back to when Jim had shown him the damage. From the way it looked Harvey didn't think that it could be repaired.

"I'm surprised", Harvey said. "So am I but Barbara had managed to find somebody to repair it, and they did a great job", Jim said happily. Harvey's eyes widened, "Wait? Barbara got your car fixed for you?" He asked. Jim nodded as he smiled, "Yeah, and she paid for it too", he said.

Harvey stared at him in disbelief, "Barbara? As in your wife Barbara? The one who is responsible for your car needing to be repaired in the first place? The one who had me investigated? The one who has made you miserable for I don't know how long, that Barbara?" He asked. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he said happily.

Harvey started to lean back before he remembered that he was sitting on a stool. He quickly readjusted himself before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is she up to?" Harvey asked. He was mostly asking himself but the question was directed towards Jim too. Jim shook his head a little, "I don't think she's up to anything", he said.

Harvey removed his hand from his face to look at his friend, "Seriously? You mean to tell me she just fixed your car out of nowhere, and you're not worried that she might be planning something?" He asked. Jim's smile grew, "Nope", he said as he got up from his stool.

Harvey stared at him, "Jim…", he said but he was cut off. "I'm not worried Harvey. I really think she feels bad for destroying it in the first place, and she just wanted to make things right. Which she did. So, I'm not gonna question it, and by the way I wouldn't worry about your CI. Like I said; I think he'll contact you when he has something Oswald, or when he feels it's safe", Jim said as he slapped him on the back.

Harvey was about to say something but he held his tough. Instead he watched Jim walk out of the building. Afterward he shook his head in defeat before he looked back at the counter.

* * *

Jim arrived home not long after leaving the bar. He stepped through the doorway, and was greeted with the sound of Barbara Lee crying. Barbara was in the living room trying to console her, "Hey", she said when she saw him. Jim stared at her, "Hey, how long has she been crying?" He asked. Barbara looked at Barbara Lee who was in her car seat. "About fifteen minutes now. We were coming home from the park when she started to cry", Barbara answered.

Jim began to walk towards them, "Is she ok? She doesn't have another ear infection, does she?" He asked as a look of concern crossed his face. Barbara continued to look at Barbara Lee who just cried in her car seat. "No, I think she's just fussy", Barbara said over the crying.

Jim walked in front of the car seat, and stared at his daughter as she cried. "What do you think she's crying about?" He asked. Barbara started rocking the car seat back, and forth. "Like I said she's just fussy. Sometimes babies cry for no reason. The only thing we can do is console them until they stop", she said.

"I know that. I just hate seeing her upset", he said as he looked at his daughter. Jim continued to stare at her as he shushed her before he picked up, and walked around the living room with her but she wouldn't stop crying. After a while he brought her back to her car seat, and sat her in it. Barbara stared at Barbara Lee. "Nothing", Barbara said.

Jim sighed as he rubbed his face with both of his hands. Barbara was looking at him when she spotted his keys then an idea popped into her head. "Your keys", she said. Jim looked at her, "What?" He asked in confusion. "Your keys", she repeated.

Jim pulled out his car keys, and looked at them before looking back at Barbara in confusion. "What about them?" He asked. "Jiggle them, and see if that works", she said.

Jim raised an eyebrow at her, "Why would that work?" He asked. Barbara gave him a little smile, "Well babies like keys so maybe if you jiggle them in front of her she'll stop crying", she said. Jim stared at her, "You sure about that?" He asked. Barbara nodded, "I'm am; just give it a try. It might work. After all, it's a lot better than the alternative of her crying for the rest of the afternoon, and possibly all night. Do you want that? Her crying all night, and having to calm her down while not getting any sleep?" She asked. Jim shook his head, "No", he said. Barbara was still smiling at him, "Well then do it", she said.

Jim sighed before he took his keys then he started jiggling them in front of Barbara Lee's face. Barbara Lee continued to cry for a few seconds before she stopped, and stared at the shiny object that was in her face. A smile appeared on Jim's face. "It worked, she stopped crying", he said as he continued jiggling the keys.

"I know, I can't believe that I didn't think of this sooner", Barbara said as her own smile widened. Jim smiled at her, "I'm just glad you thought of it", he said. Barbara smirked at him before she looked at their daughter.

Barbara Lee seemed completely mesmerized by father's keys. She babbled as she continued to stare at them before she started to laugh. Jim laughed too, and so did Barbara. "I guess we now know what to do whenever we can't get her to stop crying", Barbara said.

"Yeah, we do", he said softly as he stared at their daughter. Barbara smirked as she looked at them, "I'm a genius", she said. Jim didn't say anything instead he just chuckled at her statement. The two then smiled at each other before they turned their attention back to Barbara Lee, who was still laughing, as Jim continued jiggling the keys in front of her face.

**Author's Note- There's another nice chapter for you. I'm glad I wrote it. By the way the plot with Harvey's CI leads into something bigger, it's not just some side plot. Trust me, I have a plan for it. So, you can tell me what you think in the comments, and thanks for reading.**


	13. A Night On The Town

**Author's Note- Hey guys here's the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Gotham.**

Chapter 13- A Night On The Town

Jim walked around the living room with a small smile on his face as he carried Barbara Lee in his arms. Barbara Lee looked back up at him with a smile on her own face. As he walked he made a funny face that caused her to babble, and laugh. Jim's smile widened at the sound as his heart filled with joy.

"Somebody's happy this morning", a voice said. Jim looked up, and saw Barbara looking at them as she stood near the entrance of the bedroom. There was a smile on her face as she watched them.

Jim smiled back at her, "Yeah, when I went to check on her this morning she wasn't even crying. She woke up, and just stared at me", he said. Barbara walked over, and took Barbara Lee from him. Barbara looked at her, "How's mommy's favorite little girl doing this morning?" She asked as she cooed. Barbara Lee stared at her then she started babbling.

Jim looked at Barbara Lee. "I think that means good", he said. Barbara smiled at him, "Did you change her diaper?" She asked. Jim continued looking at Barbara Lee. "Yeah, and I fed her too. Is that ok?" He asked as he shifted his gaze towards her. Barbara nodded, "Yeah, it makes my morning a whole lot easier", she said.

"Glad to hear that I helped", he said. The two smiled at each other. It'd been a week since she'd had his car repaired, and since then things between them had continued to go smoothly. They'd continued talking, taking care of Barbara Lee, and doing whatever they could to get along. It was nice, and they both wanted it to continue.

Barbara continued bouncing Barbara Lee in her arms. She smiled at her, and made a funny face before she looked back at Jim. "So, I was wondering, could you do me a favor?" She asked. "Sure", he said as he smiled.

"Well I know it's last minute but I have an event that I have to go to. A formal event, black, and white tie. You wouldn't like it", she said. Jim smiled at her, "Not really", he joked. Barbara smiled back at him, "Anyways I was wondering if you could watch Barbara Lee on your own. Stacy has a class tonight, and like I said I have to go to this event. So, can you do it?" She asked. "Yes", he said quickly without thinking about it.

Barbara gave him a skeptical look, "Are you sure? I don't wanna just drop her on you", she said. Jim looked at her as he smiled, "Barbara, she's my daughter. I'm more than happy to take care of her on my own", he said. He saw no harm in what she was doing. In fact he'd take care of her for a whole month on his own if he had to.

Barbara smiled at him, "Okay", she said. Jim's smile widened before he looked back at Barbara Lee who stared back at him. "It looks like it's just you, and me tonight sweetie", he said before he kissed her forehead. Barbara smiled at them before she turned her attention to her daughter. She tickled her chin which caused the baby to laugh.

Barbara looked at her, "I think I'm gonna take her to the park later", she said after a while. Jim continued to look at Barbara Lee. "When?" He asked casually. Barbara thought about it, "This afternoon, I'll come home early, and take her", she explained. Jim looked at Barbara before he smiled. "Maybe I'll join you guys on my lunch break", he said. Barbara smiled back at him, "We'd like that", she said.

Jim smiled, "Okay", he said quietly before they looked at their daughter. Barbara smiled at her, "Alright sweetie, daddy has to get to work", she said as she rubbed their noses together. "But he'll see you later", he added.

Barbara Lee smiled back at her parents as she giggled. Jim took her from her mother, and held her for a few seconds before heading her back to Barbara. Afterwards he kissed her forehead before he pulled away then he turned his attention back to Barbara, and without realizing it he started to lean towards her.

Barbara slightly backed away, "What are you doing?" She asked. Jim immediately stopped, and pulled away when he saw what was happening. A look of embarrassment crossed his face as he blushed. Jim cleared his throat as he shifted his gaze towards the floor, "Sorry, I-I don't know why I did that", he said. Barbara tried not to look at him, "It's...ok, no big deal. So we'll still see you at the park later?" She asked. Jim still had his gaze shifted towards the floor, "Yeah-Yeah", he said. Barbara still wasn't looking at him, "Okay", she said quietly. Jim's eyes were still shifted towards the floor as he cleared his voice again, "Right", he said in the same tone as her.

Jim began heading towards the front door. "Jim", Barbara called out. Jim stopped, and turned around. "Yeah?" He asked as he looked at her. Barbara stared at him for a few seconds, "Nothing", she said after a while. Jim stared at her for a second longer before he headed out the door.

* * *

Later that afternoon Jim headed into the bar. He'd gotten a call from Harvey saying that they needed to meet up. The call had been urgent, and Jim could tell based on the tone in Harvey's voice that something had happened.

Jim walked over to the counter where Harvey was sitting, and saw him slumped over in front of a mug filled with beer that looked like it hadn't been touched. A look of concern appeared on Jim's face as he sat down. "Hey, what's going on?" Jim asked softly as he looked at him. Harvey looked at the counter, "It's my CI, he's dead", he said.

Jim's eyes widened at the news, "What? Are you sure?" He asked in shock. Harvey slowly looked at him, "Yeah, a call came in from the mainland saying that a dead body, badly decomposed, had been pulled from the river. He had his wallet on him, and that had his driver's license in it. It was pretty messed from being in the water but they made out the name Gotham on it, and they called the precinct to see if we had any missing person cases open. When I informed them about my CI they'd asked for his dental records, and they were a match to the body", he explained.

Jim was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't form any words. So, he just looked at the counter in silence.

"Do they know how long he's been dead?" Jim asked after a while. Harvey looked at him, "When I asked they said for about a week. A week; I hadn't talked to him for a while. I had thought that something had already happened to him but it turns out he was still alive. I could've done something but I didn't, I didn't do anything. If I had then he would still be alive. But I didn't. This is all my fault", he said.

Jim looked at him in sadness, "Harvey, you can't blame yourself", he said. Harvey shook his head, "No Jim, he was still alive. If I had done something a week ago, or sooner than that then he would still be alive", he argued.

Jim glared at him, "Harvey, listen to me. This isn't your fault, understand? This is all on me. I'm the Commissioner so I'm the one that should've pulled him out. The moment he didn't show up for one of your meetings is when I should've found a way to get somebody to go in, and get him. So, don't blame yourself", he said.

Harvey looked at the counter in silence before he looked back at his friend, "He was so young with his whole life ahead of him. But I basically took that from him", he said. "Harvey…", Jim started to say but he was interrupted. "He was still just a kid if you think about it", Harvey said quietly.

"He was a grown man Harvey, and he wanted to do this", Jim said. Harvey didn't listen to him, "I still shouldn't have put him in that situation", he said softly. "But you didn't", Jim said.

"But it was my idea, my plan", Harvey said as he banged one of his fists on the counter. "But I'm the one who okayed it. It may have been your plan Harvey but I could've turned it down, and I didn't. So, stop taking all of the blame. In fact don't take any of it. This is my fault. I'm taking responsibility for this, and I'll take any consequences if they come our way", Jim said.

Harvey didn't say anything instead he looked back at the counter in silence. Jim stared at him, he knew that no matter what he said Harvey was gonna blame himself. So, there was no use in arguing with him.

Jim stayed where he was sitting. He looked at the counter, and Harvey a few times before he got up. Without a word he headed towards the exit. As he did so he thought about the CI, and about how his life had been cut short.

A look of sadness soon covered Jim's face as he continued to think about the young man. Like he'd told Harvey he should've gotten somebody to go in, and get the CI. After all that was his job, and it was his call. But it was a call he didn't make. He'd been careless, and as a result somebody had lost their life. So, no, Harvey wasn't at fault Jim was. He was the one that needed to take all of the blame, and he was the one who would.

* * *

After a few hours of driving around Jim finally walked through the doorway of the penthouse. He looked up, and saw Barbara in the living room holding Barbara Lee. Barbara looked at him, "Hey, we waited for you at the park but you didn't show. Where were you?" She asked. Jim didn't say anything instead he just looked at her, and Barbara saw that he had a look of sadness. Jim cleared his throat, "I lost track of time, sorry", he said quietly.

Barbara didn't need Jim to tell her that something bad had happened. She could tell that something was wrong just by looking at his face. So, instead of saying anything else she simply took Barbara Lee to the nursery. When she returned to the living room she found Jim standing in the same spot as before, with the same sad look on his face.

Barbara gave him a sympathetic look, "Okay, what happened?" She asked. A few seconds past before he said anything. "Well, you know how we've been trying to take down Oswald?" He asked. Barbara nodded, she remembered Jim mentioning it to her a few weeks ago. He didn't explain much, instead he just said that things in Gotham were getting bad so he, and Harvey had formed a plan to take down Oswald using a CI. "Yeah", she said.

Jim looked at her in sadness, "Well he's dead", he stated. After he said that he walked over to the couch, and sat down then he placed his face in his hands. Barbara walked over to him. She placed one of her hands on his shoulder. "I'm sorry", she said softly as she sat down next to him.

"He was so young", Jim said as he lifted his face from his hands. Barbara looked at him, "I get it", she said quietly. Jim didn't say anything else instead he shifted his gaze towards the floor in sadness. As he sat Barbara stayed next to him, and rubbed his back.

For the next few hours Jim had continued sitting on the couch. He didn't say anything, and he didn't move. The only thing he did was look at the floor, and think of the young CI who'd lost his life.

Barbara Lee's crying was the thing that'd finally snapped him out of his thoughts. His head shot up at the sound. He looked behind him, and saw Barbara holding Barbara Lee.

Jim got up, and walked over to them. "Can I?" He asked. Barbara smiled at him, "You don't have to ask", she said as she handed their daughter over to him.

Jim took her, and immediately smiled at her as she stopped crying. "Hey sweetie, sorry I missed you, and your mommy at the park earlier", he said. Barbara continued to smile at him, "That's ok, I don't think she minds, she knows you have a job to do", she said as she touched the top of their daughter's head.

Jim smiled at her before smiling back at Barbara Lee who he started to gently bounce in his arms. Barbara looked at them for seconds before she walked into the bedroom to get ready for the gala that would be starting soon. Twenty minutes later she walked back out to the living room, dressed in a formal gown, and saw Jim still holding Barbara Lee.

"Is she asleep?" Barbara asked. Jim looked at Barbara with a smile. "No", he said.

Barbara walked over to them, "How are you feeling?" She asked. "I'm doing ok", he said softly. Barbara nodded, "Good", she said before she looked at their daughter.

Jim looked at the gown that Barbara was wearing. "You look great", he said casually. Barbara looked back at him, "Thanks", she said.

Jim looked back at Barbara Lee, and even though he was smiling Barbara could see that there was still sadness in his eyes. She knew the face that he was wearing was a façade. He was still sad, he just wasn't showing it. Which made sense for Jim considering it was just like him to act like he was ok but hide how he was really feeling.

Jim shifted his gaze towards her, "Shouldn't you be leaving?" He asked with a small smile. Barbara stared at him with her own smile, "Yeah", she said. Jim looked at Barbara Lee as he gently lifted up her head to face her mother. "Say bye bye mommy", he cooed. Barbara Lee made a cooing sound as she looked at Barbara.

Barbara smiled at the site then an idea popped into her head. "Come on", she said all of sudden. Jim gave her a look of confusion, "What?" He asked. "I said come on", Barbara repeated.

"Where?" He asked in confusion. Barbara rolled her eyes before she looked at him, "Where do you think? To the gala. I want you...No you are coming with me", she demanded with a smile.

Jim stared at her in disbelief, "I don't wanna go", he protested. Barbara smirked, "Yeah but you don't wanna sit here, and think about what happened either", she said. Jim shifted his gaze towards the floor, "No, I don't", he agreed.

Barbara continued to smirk at him, "Well then come with me", she said. Jim still had his gaze shifted towards the floor, "I don't know", he said in an unsure voice. Barbara walked towards him, "It won't be so bad, and if it is then we can leave", she said.

Jim thought about it some, spending the night hanging around a bunch of Gotham elites who were full of themselves seemed almost like torture. But as he thought about it he realized that he would rather spend the night hanging around them than think about the news that he'd received. Jim looked at her, "Okay", he said. Barbara looked back at him, "Alright then, I'll call Selina to watch Barbara Lee", she said as she pulled out her cell phone.

Jim couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Barbara call Selina. He gave his head a little shake as he wondered how she managed to talk him into going. A little while later Selina arrived. Jim, and Barbara kissed Barbara Lee's forehead then they headed out.

* * *

They arrived at their destination a while later. Jim, and Barbara walked into the room where a bunch of Gotham's most elite were. He couldn't help but look around the room as he watched them smile, sip wine, and make small talk. Yeah, he was gonna hate every minute of being there.

He felt Barbara nudge his shoulder. Jim looked at her as she smiled at him. "Relax just follow my lead, and you'll make it through tonight", she said quietly. "Doubtful", he said with a small smile.

Barbara smiled at him, "Come on, if you can manage to survive being in Gotham when it was cut from the mainland, and everything that had happened in that time frame then you can survive this", she said as she walked away. Jim watched her go, "True", he said as he followed after her.

Jim caught up to Barbara. "What do I do?" He asked quietly as they walked. Barbara chuckled, "When someone talks to you just smile, and nod your head. Pretend like you're listening to whatever it is they're saying, and that you care", she said with a smile.

Jim smiled too, "I think I can do that", he said. "Although the best way to avoid having to do any of that is to stay out of site, and out of mind", she said. "I don't think that's possible", he said in her ear. He didn't think he could easily blend into the crowd. Somebody was bound to recognize him as the Commissioner, and would mostly likely want to make conversation.

"Well then stay as close to me as possible, and I'll do all of the talking", she said in his ear. "Will do", he said. They smiled at each other then Barbara led him over to a group of people.

The evening was going by pretty smoothly. Jim stayed by Barbara's side for most of the night, and he let her do all of the talking. Which was easy considering the fact that everybody wanted to talk to her anyways. After all she now owned half of Gotham. So, it made sense that everybody would want to talk to her.

As Jim watched Barbara talking to some Gotham elites he couldn't help but be impressed. They respected her, not feared, respected. It was like her past as a criminal didn't matter to them.

Jim smiled as he watched in amazement. Barbara had really turned it all around. Once one of Gotham's most feared criminals was now a respected business woman. One who was helping to rebuild the city too.

Jim continued to look on. She had really had done it, and only in a matter of months too. It really was amazing.

After a while Jim snuck away from the group, and headed towards the door. Not to leave but just to get away. He needed a break from smiling, nodding his head, and overall pretending like he cared about whatever it was that they were talking about.

As he stood near the door an older woman approached him. "Commissioner Gordon, long time no see", the woman said. Jim looked over at the woman, and saw that it was Mrs. Davenport. "Mrs. Davenport, it's nice to see you again", Jim greeted. Mrs. Davenport smiled at him, "You too, and to be honest I didn't expect to see you tonight", she said.

"Well I wasn't planning on coming but my wife convinced me to come", he said. Mrs. Davenport's smile widened, "Where is she at?" She asked. Jim pointed over at Barbara who was still talking to a group of people. "Over there", he said.

Mrs. Davenport looked over at Barbara before looking back at Jim. "How have you two been?" She asked. "Good", Jim answered. "Good to hear, and how's your daughter?" She asked. A huge smile appeared on Jim's face when she asked the question. "She's doing great, and she's gotten so big", he said with a chuckle.

Mrs. Davenport looked at him, "Well babies will do that. So, you, and your wife enjoy the time that you have with her because before you know it she'll be all grown up", she said. "We will", he said.

Mrs. Davenport turned her head to look back over at Barbara again. "Now have you two thought about having another one?" She asked when she faced him again. A look of shock crossed Jim's face as he blushed. "What? No...we...we haven't", he said as he coughed a little.

Mrs. Davenport giggled at his response, "Well you should'', she said. Jim shifted his gaze towards the floor, "We...We're...It's not something either of us want", he said before he looked at her again. "Are you sure?" She asked. Jim nodded, "Yeah", he said quietly.

"Well me, and my husband weren't planning on having another one after our first child either. But things change, and before we knew it we had three kids", she said. "Well trust me, Barbara Lee is going to be the only child me, and Barbara have", he said. "Me, and my husband thought the same thing too. But like I said before things changed, and who knows? Things might change between you two too", Mrs. Davenport said.

Jim noticed how her gaze shifted to Barbara again. "I…", he said before she interrupted him. "You two remind so much of me, and my husband when we were younger. I saw it that night when we were all having dinner. The way you smiled at her. I thought to myself; that's exactly how my husband smiles at me", she said.

Jim looked at her, "I can assure you that we are nothing like you, and your husband", he said. "No, there are differences, obviously. But I could see how happy you two were", she said. Jim sighed, "To be honest we weren't really all that happy that night", he said.

"You weren't?" She asked. "No, we weren't", he said quietly. Mrs. Davenport looked at him for a while before she shrugged, "It happens, couples fight, they have bad days, even bad weeks. There are times when they're happily married, and there are times when they wanna walk out on each other. You don't think that there are days when I've wanted to walk out on Marv?" She asked. Jim stared at her, "N-No", he said.

A small smile appeared on Mrs. Davenport's face as she nodded. "There are, he makes me so mad sometimes but I love him, and he loves me. No marriage is perfect. If somebody tells you that they never argue with their spouse then they're either lying, or something is very wrong. It's not a real marriage unless there's a little bit of fighting", she said.

"Yeah but…", he said before he was interrupted. Mrs. Davenport held up her hand, "But nothing, there's nothing wrong with fighting. I assume you two got past whatever it is that you were fighting about?" She asked. Jim averted his eyes to the floor, "Y-Yeah", he said.

"Well then, there you go. Me, and my husband are the same way. We fight but we make up. The best couples do. A lot of the ones who fight don't, and as a result they break up. But you two aren't like that. No, you two are gonna make it", she said.

Jim didn't say anything. Instead he watched as she walked away, and as she did he couldn't help but think about everything that she'd said to him. Like how him, and Barbara were gonna make it.

He'd wanted so badly to tell her the truth about his marriage. Not so that she could think any differently of Barbara but so that she could know that he only married her to keep his daughter. That she shouldn't compare her, and her husband's marriage to his with Barbara. Due to the fact that unlike his, hers was based on love, and not blackmail.

As Jim stood there, and thought about the conversation he felt someone tugging on his arm. He snapped out of his thoughts, and looked to his side where he saw Barbara. "Come on", Barbara said.

"What?" Jim asked. He was confused on why she was wanting to leave. A smile appeared on her face. "I said come on, I can tell you're bored, and to be truthful so am I. You don't wanna stay, and neither do I. So, let's go", she said.

Jim blinked at her, "Are you sure? He asked. He didn't wanna leave if she wasn't ready. Barbara looked at him, "Yes Jim, so come on", she said as she continued to tug on his arm. Jim looked at her as she tried to pull him towards the door that led outside the building. "Okay", he said before she managed to get him outside.

* * *

A few minutes later they were outside, and they were actually laughing. Laughing of all things. Joking around, and making fun of all the other guests. It was something that Jim didn't expect to happen, at all. Not just for that night but since marrying Barbara he didn't think that they would be able to joke around with each other let alone get along. But yet here they were getting along, and joking around.

Barbara looked at him as they continued walking. "So, do you wanna go home?" She asked with a smile. Jim didn't look at her as he thought about it. He wasn't ready to go home, not yet because he was actually having fun. Jim smiled a little, "No", he said after a few seconds.

"So, where do you wanna go? Do you wanna go back to the gala?" She asked. "No, please no", he said quickly as he looked at her. He wasn't ready to go home but he didn't wanna go back to the gala. He didn't think he could take another minute of standing around smiling, and listening to boring conversions about who knows what.

Barbara smirked, "That's what I thought", she said. "So then, where are you taking me?" He asked. Barbara's smirk widened as she looked at him, "You want me to decide?" She asked. Jim shrugged as he looked away from her, "Sure", he said nonchalantly. Barbara continued to look at him, "Okay, follow me", she said as she walked ahead of him. Jim smiled as he followed after her.

Jim, and Barbara arrived at a construction site. Jim looked at the site, and noticed that there was already a foundation built. "Is this supposed to be one of your buildings?" He asked. Barbara smiled at him, "Yeah", she said.

"What's it gonna be?" He asked. Barbara continued to smile at him, "Don't you know?" She asked. Jim turned his head to look at her, "Not really", he said. There had been a lot of damage while Gotham had been cut off from the mainland, and even more so when the Government had bombed half the city. So, it was hard to tell what building used to be what.

Barbara tilted her head to side, "Jim, you don't recognize the location?" She asked. Jim looked around for a while until it finally hit him. Jim stared at her, "The Clock Tower'', he said quietly.

Barbara smiled at him, "Yeah", she said. Jim looked back at the site before he looked back at her, "So, what are you gonna build?" He asked. Barbara smirked, "The Clock Tower, again", she said.

Jim stared at her, "Really?" He asked. He'd assumed that it was gonna be a condo, or hotel since those were things that she was building anyway. Barbara shrugged, "Yeah, I mean it won't be the same as it was before it was destroyed but it'll be just as good. If not better", she replied.

"Why?" He asked. Barbara stared at him, "Why what?" She asked. "Why are you rebuilding it?" He asked. He couldn't figure out why she'd wanna rebuild it, and he needed to know. Barbara shrugged again before she took a quick glance at the reconstruction site then she looked back at Jim. "It was an important landmark, and I really wanna say I have the tallest building in Gotham", she said with a smile.

Jim smiled too, "Is that so?" He asked. "Yeah, Wayne Tower may get built first but it won't be the tallest building in Gotham once my company gets done rebuilding the Clock Tower", she explained. Jim smirked, "So, this about bragging rights?" He asked. "Yeah", she said.

Barbara looked back at the reconstruction site, and didn't say anything. Jim stared at her, and he could tell that she was in deep thought about something. "You wanna talk about it?" He asked. Barbara looked at him, "What?" She asked in confusion. "You looked like you were thinking about something, something important", he noted.

Barbara turned her head back to the reconstruction site, "I was just thinking about the past, our past", she said. Jim looked at her, "When I brought you here on a date?" He asked even though he knew the answer. Barbara smiled at him, "It'd crossed my mind", she said.

Jim smiled back at her, "So, that's why you're rebuilding it", he said. Barbara's smile turned into a smirk as she walked past him, "Not everything's about you", she said as she gently pushed him out of the way. Jim's smile turned into a frown, "No but I am the cause of a lot things", he said.

Barbara stopped walking, and looked back at him. She saw his frown, and sadness in his eyes. "You're still thinking about him?" She asked. Yeah", he said as he looked down.

"Here I thought taking you out would get your mind off of him", she said as she looked at him in sympathy. "It did, for a while", he said as he looked back at her. It was true, Jim hadn't thought about the CI, or his part in the young man's death when he was at the gala. So, in a way being out was a good distraction for him. Too bad it hadn't been permanent.

Barbara stared at him for a bit before she grabbed his arm. "Come on, I wanna take you somewhere else", she said. Jim followed her, "Now where are we going?" He asked as she pulled on his arm. Barbara turned her head, and smiled at him. "You'll see", she said. Jim didn't say anything else. Instead he just smiled, and followed her as she continued pulling on his arm.

* * *

Jim had no clue where Barbara was taking him. He couldn't think of anything in particular since it was late, and a lot of places were closed. So he'd been shocked when she'd pulled him on the subway.

Jim looked around in confusion. He saw a few people sitting down but other than that the subway cart was practically empty. Jim looked at Barbara in confusion. "Where are we going?" He asked. Barbara looked at him, "Nowhere, really", she said with a shrug.

Jim narrowed his eyes at her, "So, what are we doing here then?" He asked as the subway started to move. Barbara didn't sit down, instead she stayed near the doors. Jim stood next to her, and held the railing that was above his head so that he didn't fall. She looked around the subway cart. "Before Gotham was cut from the mainland, if I couldn't sleep then I would sometimes come on here, late at night", she explained before she looked at him.

Jim raised his eyebrow at her, "Why?" He asked in confusion. Barbara shrugged again, "To clear my head so that I could think, about my life, about the choices I made, or were about to make", she told him. "Did being on here help?" He asked. Barbara stared at him, "Sometimes, and if I couldn't think then I would play a game", she said.

"What kind of game?" He asked. "Well if there were people on here with me then I would look at them, and I would try to guess their backstory, or I'd make one up in my head. If I couldn't do that then I would try to guess what they were thinking", she said as she looked around the subway cart. Jim looked around at the few passengers that were in the subway cart with them. "Show me", he said.

Barbara looked at him before she looked around at the few passengers that were scattered around the subway cart. Her eyes landed on a guy sitting alone in the back. He was a young man, maybe early twenties, and he was staring at a young woman who looked to be around the same age as him.

"There", she said as she gestured at the young man. Jim looked at him as he continued to hold the railing, "Okay, what's his story?" He asked. Barbara looked at the young man, "I think he's thinking about talking to that girl. But he hasn't yet because he doesn't want to come off as creepy, or he's probably afraid that she may have a boyfriend, and so he doesn't want to look like a fool", she explained.

Jim looked at the young man, and watched as he stayed in his seat. He had to admit he did think that Barbara was onto something. The young man was looking at the woman with interest but Jim could see the fear in his eyes. So, maybe Barbara was right, and the young man did want to talk to that woman but he was hesitant for one reason, or another.

Jim looked at him for a bit before his eyes wandered around. They landed on another young man, and young woman sitting together. Jim couldn't tell if they were a couple, or not.

"What about them?" He asked as he gestured at them. Barbara looked at them, and thought for a moment. They were smiling at each other, and giggling. It was obvious that they were comfortable with each other, and the guy was looking at the woman with so much love. The woman was looking at him with love too but not the romantic kind. "I think they're just friends but I think he wants more. However I think that she's happy with the way things already are between them", Barbara explained.

Jim didn't say anything at that explanation, instead he looked at the last two passengers that were on the cart. Again, a man, and a woman. They looked like they were a couple, slightly older than the last two but younger than him, and Barbara.

Jim gestured at them, "Them?" He asked. Barbara looked over at them. Unlike the last two they seemed like they were a couple but not a happy one.

Barbara continued looking at them. The guy was staring at what Barbara supposed was his girlfriend, or maybe wife, and he was frowning. The woman was not staring back at him, instead she was looking in the opposite direction. Almost like she wanted to avoid his gaze, and like him she too was frowning.

"I think that they're a couple but a couple that has been through a lot over the years, and are on the verge of breaking up. It's like even though they're together physically, emotionally they're not together. However I think that while she just wants to call it quits he wants to save the relationship. I think that he so badly wants to ask her if they could just start over, and try again. But he doesn't because he sees that she believes that it's too late to try", Barbara explained.

A look of sadness filled Jim's eyes as Barbara's words sunk in. If any of what she said was true then he felt sorry for them. He knew what it was like to try to fix something that was broken but no matter how determined he was to fix it he usually just made things worse, and people usually got hurt, or killed.

There was still sadness in Jim's eyes as he looked at Barbara. "What would you think about me if you didn't know me?" He asked quietly. Barbara frowned at him as she gently touched his cheek, "I'd think that you were a man who had the whole world on his shoulders. That you felt like you had to be the one to fix everything, and save everyone even though nobody asked you to. I'd think that you were a hero who didn't wanna be a hero anymore", she said softly.

Jim looked at her, it was true he didn't wanna be the hero anymore. At least not all the time. He just wanted somebody else to take most of the load off so that he could relax, and be happy.

He continued to stare at her before he took the hand that wasn't hanging onto the railing, and touched her cheek. She gave him a small smile when he'd done that, and he gave her one back. There was a silence between the two as they stared into each other's eyes.

After a while the subway came to a halt. Jim looked at her, "We should go", he said quietly. "Yeah", she agreed. They looked in each other's eyes for a few more seconds then they got off the subway.

**Author's Note- Well I finally got this chapter done. Sorry it took so long. Anyway, did you enjoy it nonetheless? Are you happy that Jim, and Barbara are getting along? How did you enjoy their time together? You can tell me what you think in the review section, and thanks for reading. By the way I'm pretty sure Gotham has a subway, if not, well too bad. Anyways again thanks for reading.**


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